A crew suspected of perpetrating a series of ATM scams across the nation that targeted elderly individuals has been apprehended, following a traffic stop in Garfield County, Colorado. According to information released by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, the scam often involved trickery at ATMs, where suspects would purport to assist victims with their transactions. On one such occasion, a 70-year-old Moorpark man became a victim as he tried to use an ATM in December last year.
The three suspects, identified as Pedro Quispe, 61, Dawis Escribano, 40, and Estefani Falla, 25, all New York residents, were initially stopped on April 19 for an unspecified traffic violation. It was then that deputies, seeing outstanding felony arrest warrants for the trio, took them into custody. A detailed recount of the events was relayed by a release provided by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, including how the suspects made off with $3,800 from the Moorpark man by swapping his ATM card and learning his PIN.
Further investigation revealed at least 11 instances of these fraudulent activities in Southern California and another 14 in New York since December 2023, as per the sheriff’s office release. The crew’s method was simple yet deceptive: one suspect would distract the victim under the guise of helping with the ATM while another would take note of the victim’s PIN, and then a card swap would follow, allowing them to withdraw funds from the victim's account.
All three were extradited to Ventura County, where they await arraignment on $150,000 bail, as confirmed by KTLA. Investigators were able to identify the suspects through surveillance video and other investigative methods, leading to their arrest. Following their apprehension, the Moorpark Police Department has urged the public to stay alert during ATM transactions and report any suspicious behavior, according to a media release obtained by Nixle.
