Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) says it is  cracking down on persons who exploit the elderly and other vulnerable members of society after a man was sentenced to 14 months in jail for pleading guilty to 58 counts of obtaining money by fraudulent use of a bank card.

The TTPS did not name the man or the victim, but said that between November 2024 and April this year, the victim, an elderly woman, had securely maintained possession of her automated teller machine (ATM) card. However, in June this year, upon reviewing her bank account, she discovered that sums totalling $115,000 were missing.

The police said upon visiting her bank, she was informed that the withdrawals had been made via ATM transactions. But the victim denied conducting or authorising any of the transactions, noting that she had never lost or misplaced her card.

She was later permitted to view surveillance footage of the transactions, during which she recognized the suspect, a man she had known for nearly 40 years and who was a frequent visitor to her home.

The police said as a result of their investigations the suspect was arrested in Arima, east of here.

“The suspect was interviewed …and admitted to committing the offence,” the police said, adding he was charged with 58 counts of obtaining money by fraudulent use of a bank card.

“The accused later appeared before Master Lisa Singh-Phillip at the Arima Master’s Court, where he pleaded guilty to all charges. He was sentenced to 14 months’ hard labour on each count, with the sentences to run concurrently,” the police said, urging members of the public to remain vigilant and to avoid engaging in criminal activities, particularly those that exploit the elderly and other vulnerable members of society. (CMC)