74-year-old Woman Robs Bank at Gunpoint After Online Scammers took her Life Savings

A 74-year-old Ohio bank robber who used a gun to take money has been taken into custody and charged.

According to her relatives, Ann Mayers, 74, who stole an Ohio bank union last week on April 19, is a victim of an internet scammer who may have been attempting to help her with her financial issues.

After Friday’s heist in Fairfield Township, which is north of Cincinnati, Mayers is charged with two counts of aggravated robbery with a firearm and tampering with evidence.

The second charge, according to the complaint, is related to Mayers’ choice to throw her clothes out the car window on her drive home following the incident.

Mayers might spend up to 15 years in jail if found guilty.

She was still being held on a $100,000 bond on Wednesday, April 24, awaiting her first court appearance. According to court documents, she does not have an attorney.

Shortly after the incident, Mayers was taken into custody at her Hamilton home, according to a Facebook post from Fairfield police. Police claim she used the weapon she found in her car to carry out the crime.

According to a copy of the complaint, Ann Mayers allegedly admitted to Fairfield Township Police Department (FTPD) investigators that she was the one who entered the AurGroup Financial Credit Union Bank and brandishing a revolver, demanding that a teller turn over some of the bank’s cash.

Bodycam footage taken at the time of her arrest shows that it only took Mayers a few seconds to allegedly confess, as she immediately tells the arresting officers: “I did whatever you’re here for.”

The officers then ask Mayers to be more specific, at which time the footage shows her saying: “The robbery.”

According to police, Mayers walked away with $500 from her bank heist.

Authorities later learned that Mayers might have been a scam victim and are looking into the claims. Her relatives told detectives that she had been sending money to an unidentified individual, The Columbus Dispatch reported Wednesday.

“In that aspect, some may see her as a ‘victim,’” Sgt. Brandon McCroskey told the newspaper.

“Unfortunately, Ann chose to victimize several other people in the bank by robbing it with a firearm as a remedy for her situation.”

If what her relatives say is true, McCroskey called Mayers’ situation “very sad and unfortunate.”

Mayers left her bank heist with $500, according to the authorities.

After learning that Mayers may have fallen victim to a fraud, authorities are investigating the allegations. According to The ColumbusDispatch on Wednesday, her relatives informed authorities that she had been giving money to an anonymous person.

In the days preceding the standoff, he claimed, she allegedly discussed robbing banks with family members, but they didn’t take her remarks seriously.

For the past ten to fifteen years, scams targeting elders have increased in frequency, according to specialists. These include the so-called “grandparent scams,” in which callers identify themselves as anyone, from a police officer to the victim’s grandson, and inform the victim that something horrible has occurred and that their younger relative is in need of money.