A 29-year-old man, Emil Rafael Colombo Bratini, is facing charges for allegedly impersonating a cooperative employee to obtain an 82-year-old woman's debit card and PIN, resulting in $10,000 being withdrawn from her account. The victim received several phone calls claiming to be from the financial institution, stating her account had been hacked and a representative would visit her residence to collect her debit card.
Colombo Bratini then visited the victim's residence in Salinas, posing as an employee, and collected her debit card and PIN under false pretenses. He allegedly used the card to make withdrawals and purchases totaling $10,000 on August 17 and 18. The Department of Justice confirmed the investigation and the charges, which include elder abuse, aggravated illegal appropriation, identity theft, and illegal use of credit and debit cards.
The defendant was arrested and held on $20,000 bail, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for October 5. The investigation was led by Agent Ángel Anglada.