TEXARKANA, Texas -- A local man is wanted on charges of theft and exploitation of the elderly.
Police have felony warrants for Torin Smith.
In the last couple of weeks, the Texarkana Texas Police Department has received several reports of a man scamming people out of their money at local stores. The most recent incident was Monday.
Using surveillance video of the man inside the stores, Detective Warren Smith determined that Smith was the suspect, according to a news release from TTPD.
Police think Smith has been doing this scam off and on for more than a decade.
Smith allegedly approaches a person in a home improvement store, such as Home Depot or Lowe's, and strikes up a conversation with the individual. At some point, he tells the person that he is either an employee of the store or is a truck driver and has access to a zero-turn lawn mower that his supposed company cannot sell for some reason, such as it was a special order and the person died before acquiring the item.
Smith allegedly tells the person he has been authorized to sell the mower at a greatly discounted price to keep the item out of the store's inventory, and convinces the person to get the money (usually $500 to $900) and simply hand it over to him.
After receiving the money, Smith allegedly leaves to make arrangements for the person to acquire the mower but disappears instead.
Three people -- one of whom is a senior citizen -- recently have reported the alleged scam to TTPD. However, police think there may be more victims who have not filed a report.
Anyone who has had a similar encounter should call 903-798-3170.
Anyone who knows Smith's whereabouts is asked to call police at 903-798-3116 or Texarkana Area Crime Stoppers at 903-793-STOP.