Benjamin Wolff, 79, and wife, Jane, 72, were welcomed to Concord, Mass.-based Hawthorn Inn after they told the inn's owners that they were in between homes and looking for a place to stay.
Owners Gregory Burch and Marilyn Mudry like to make their guests as comfortable as possible, which wasn't difficult with this pleasant couple, they told myFoxBoston.com.
"They ingratiated themselves in a very nice way in conversation with us. They were comfortable. There was no reason not to trust them," Burch told MyFoxBoston.com.
The Wolffs stayed at the Hawthorn Inn for 19 days, and enjoyed the hotel's amenities during that time, such as the homemade brownies delivered daily at 5 p.m., the owners said.
"Jane Wolff is a very smart woman who remembers all the books she's ever read. Benjamin claims to have been an ex-stock broker," MyFoxBoston.com quoted Burch.
But it looks like it was all a well-rehearsed act. The bill came, and the couple's check bounced. The credit card was equally unsuccessful in covering the $3,600 bill, according to Mudry.
Mudry and Burch confronted the guests and called the police, but the elderly couple left without paying.
Concord police have issued warrants for the Wolffs.
It turns out, this may not have been their first alleged scam. The Wolffs also vanished from a Newburyport inn, leaving behind a tab for another $1,000, MyFoxBoston.com reported.
"At this point, they are homeless people knowingly breaking the law. They do have family. It's just an odd case," Concord Police Det. Paul Morrison told MyFoxBoston.com.
As for his part, Burch simply wants to put a stop to this deceptive duo. "I doubt we'll get anything back, but they need to take responsibility and they need to stop doing what they are doing," he said.
Police said the Wolffs are driving a green 2004 Subaru Legacy station wagon bearing the licence plate number 76RV28.
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