Woman, 92, speaks to FOX 35 after losing priceless family heirlooms to suspected scammers
Woman, 92, said she was scammed by thieves
A 92-year-old woman said she was scammed out of family heirlooms and jewelry. The suspected thieves were captured on home security cameras, authorities said.
ORLANDO, Fla. - After losing priceless family heirlooms to suspected door-to-door scammers, a 92-year-old victim spoke exclusively to FOX 35 News.
"They said that they were visiting all the neighbors, and they’re asking for jewelry," said Catalina, who asked to keep her last name private.
She’s talked about a couple of suspected thieves caught on home security footage trying to peddle their shady services to neighbors. They asked Catalina if she had any gold jewelry they could "test" for her to see if it was real, putting it in a pan with some liquid.
"They told me they dissolved because they weren’t real," Catalina said. "They were fantasy. They told me only one of them was real."
Of the 14 rings she gave them, they only gave one back, a wedding ring along with $100 cash for the test. Once they left, Catalina immediately called the police.
"I told them, ‘what happened to the ring?’ And they said, ‘They dissolved because they were fake,’" Catalina said.
But Catalina says they were not fake. Some were actually family heirlooms she purchased decades ago from jewelry stores.
"That was 70 years ago that I got some jewelry in New York," Catalina said. "I got a wedding set there, from 1950, that I got married for the first time."
Catalina’s granddaughter says she has warned her about answering the door for strangers.
"These items have a lot of sentimental value, and even for our family, because it’s stuff that we’ve had around and I’ve seen them.
"I’m sure she was going to leave them for our family to continue to enjoy," said Catalina’s granddaughter, who also didn’t want to be named.
This time it was jewelry, but Catalina’s granddaughter worries it could have been even worse.
Investigators are still trying to identify the two suspects. If you have any information about who they are, they’re asking you to contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
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