Chicago police are investigating another pattern of scams targeting local seniors in which a couple posing as police detectives urge residents to withdraw money from their bank accounts to ensure the money is not counterfeit.

The couple, described by witness as a black male and black female, both about 40 years old, first call the victims and identify themselves as detectives. They tell the victims that they will pick up the victims or send a taxi to pick them up and bring them to their local bank branch, where they encourage the victims to withdraw various amounts of money under the guise of testing the cash for fingerprints of a known counterfeiter.

In one recent scam, the offenders picked up a woman in her 80s from her residence in the 10300 block of South Drake Avenue and drove her to a branch of TCF Bank at 10350 S. Pulaski Road. According to Chicago police, bank employees became suspicious and would not allow the victim to withdraw cash.

The offenders then drove the victim to another branch of TCF Bank, where she withdrew $7,500 in cash. The offenders drove her back to her residence and left. She later called police.

More recently, a 90-year-old female resident of the 3400 block of West 115th Place was targeted. She reported April 4 that she received a phone call from the offenders, who told her that a taxi would be sent to her residence to check on her bank account. She became suspicious and called her son. Both he and the taxi arrived at the same time.

The taxi driver told the son that he had received a call directing him to pick up the woman and drive her to First Midwest Bank at 11900 S. Pulaski Road. The son then called police.