By Lookout Staff

December 23, 2013 -- If you are a senior who has been involved in a minor traffic accident in a Santa Monica store parking lot, you may have been a victim of an elder abuse scam.

Police are currently investigating several reports from targeted victims and looking for other potential victims of the scam.

“The scams involve one or two suspects who stage a minor traffic accident in a store parking lot involving the suspect’s vehicle and the victim’s vehicle,” said Sgt. Jay Moroso, the Police Department spokesman.

The suspect or suspects then approach the victims as they leave the lot and claim the victim hit their car.

“They demand money from the victim, claiming the damage is less than their insurance deductible,” Moroso said.

The suspects sometimes work alone or in pairs, according to police.

The suspects are described as a male and female in their 40s, Moroso said. They have used a red four-door vehicle to stage their accidents.

The Santa Monica Police Department is trying to locate any additional victims who gave the suspects money but did not report the incident to Law Enforcement.

Those who have been victims of the scam or have any information regarding these crimes should contact Detective Dean Hodges of the Santa Monica Police Department at 310.458.8928 or by email at sidney.hodges@smgov.net.