San Francisco police warn seniors of gold jewelry robbery schemes

A fake necklace, a brief conversation and a hand on the shoulder can be enough to turn visible gold into a target. San Francisco police warned on April 29 that seniors are being singled out in jewelry robbery schemes across the city and Bay Area, with suspects often approaching victims, talking them up and using a gift or physical contact to cover the theft.

Investigators said the pattern is part of a larger criminal enterprise. In some cases, the suspects travel around the region and sometimes from overseas, then look for people wearing necklaces, bracelets or other visible pieces that can be grabbed fast. The warning was sharpened by a March 20 robbery in the Richmond District, where plainclothes officers on an abatement operation saw a white BMW SUV approach multiple people wearing jewelry, apparently casing them before the robbery unfolded near 17th Avenue and Cabrillo Street.

At that intersection, police said one suspect placed a necklace on a woman and then forcibly stole her gold necklace. Officers used Drone First Responders to track the suspects as they fled and arrested them near Frederick Street. Police identified the pair as Ludovic-Iustinian Ceausu, 37, and Claudia Voinescu, 41. Officers recovered additional jewelry, U.S. and foreign currency and the decoy necklace used in the crime. Patch reported that Voinescu also had an outstanding warrant for larceny. The two were booked on suspicion of robbery, conspiracy, possession of stolen property, grand theft, elder abuse, possession of counterfeit items with intent to defraud and possession of burglary tools.

The case lands with particular force in a city where older adults are a sizable share of the population. The U.S. Census Bureau says 17.6% of San Francisco residents were 65 and older in 2024, a reminder that this is not a niche threat but a daily vulnerability for many households. The FBI has also said scams targeting people age 60 and older caused more than $3.4 billion in losses in 2023, with more than 101,000 victims reporting elder-fraud crimes to the Internet Crime Complaint Center.

For anyone wearing gold in public, the police warning points to one simple rule: do not allow a stranger to close the distance. Step away if someone tries to touch you or offer a gift, especially in parking lots, on sidewalks and near curbside pickups where a quick approach can feel casual until it is not. Leave sentimental pieces at home when the outing does not require them, choose lower-profile chains or shorter lengths when you do wear jewelry, and keep family members informed so an older relative knows the scam before a stranger tries the same move again.