A 66 year old woman managed to swindle some ¢660.000 colones (US$1.200), in cash, from a bank teller from the Banco Nacional branch in Grecia, but was apprehended before she complete the robbery,.
According to the report by the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ), the woman entered the bank around 3:00pm Wednesay, handing over the teller a note, which indicated to hand over all the cash and her belongins, otherwise, two accomplices waiting outside, would kill her family.
The teller handed over the cash , but was able to alert security, who were able to detain the woman before she left the branch.
Roberto Mendez, director of security at the state bank, said,, “the cashier activated the security protocol and prevented the robbery, proving, once gain the effectiveness of the bank’s security systems”.
The Tribunales de San Ramón (Criminal Court) allowed the woman free on bail while the Fiscalía investigates the case, for either robbery or a scam and if there were others involved.
Costa Rica’s Penal Code sanctions “hurto simple” (simple robbery) with one month to three years in prison, while int he case of a scam, the sentence is up to ten years in prison.
