Woman in medical scrubs scams great-grandmother

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Dallas police are looking for a woman in medical scrubs who got into an East Oak Cliff home and stole hundreds of dollars from a great grandmother. It's a scam that hasn’t been heard of before.

The woman is a 76-year-old widow who lives off a partial pension payment from her late husband and social security. She says she's very careful about who she lets into her home but made an exception for a stranger who seemed to already know a lot about her.

“I'm trying to pull it together, but it's hard,” says Ola Donalson. “I wake up in the morning, and I want to say it was just a dream."

Donalson says she fell victim to a scam when a woman showed up at her home Saturday afternoon in medical scrubs. The woman, who even knew her doctor’s name and other personal information, said she was sent to Donalson’s home to talk about a new walker.

“Right then, I should have gotten some kind of a clue this wasn't right,” Donalson admitted. “But when she asked to see the walker, I took her in to show her the walker, and she said that walker wasn't up to date.”

Donalson says the woman asked to see her current walker that was stored under a bed and then distracted her by asking for a flashlight. It was enough time for the woman to find her wallet and take $45 in cash and several hundred more in money orders.

Donalson called police later that day when she discovered the crime.

“It's the first of the month, and most elderly people have their checks the first of the month,” Donalson said. “She knew what she was doing.”

The money orders were set aside to pay Donalson's bills. She says creditors have been understanding and have been willing to waive late fees until she can pay again.

“It was all I had. But I felt dumb that I even let her in my house,” Donalson said. “I still can't get myself together that I let her in.”

But it's little consolation to a 76-year-old woman who was taken for everything she had.

“I would like her to know that she really, really hurt me and hurt people in my family,” she said. “I wonder if she would do this to her own mother. If this happened to her own mother, how would she feel?”

Friends from Donalson's church are trying to raise money to help cover her bills and have set up a GoFundMe account for her. Her daughter confirmed her doctor never sent anyone to her house.

GoFundMe Link: https://www.gofundme.com/OlaDonalsonNeedsOurHelp

Donalson says she did not supply her doctor's name to the woman but was rather surprised that the woman knew it.

Police are still investigating the incident. Donalson says she just wants people to be aware so it doesn't happen to anyone else.