A pair of con artists took advantage of a 64-year-old California woman Friday afternoon, stealing $2,800 of her savings on the promise of splitting a $125,000 winning lottery ticket with her, her granddaughter says.
Such lottery scams are not uncommon in Gilroy; a few people fall victim every year, according to police. Elderly people are usually the targets, especially elderly Hispanics who might be more inclined to feel sorry for someone who claims they cant cash a winning lottery ticket because of immigration status.
Some past victims have told police they didnt so much want the money as to help someone who appeared to be in need. That was the case with Lucy Gomez on Friday, according to granddaughter Angie Lopez.
(The con artists) are just really out there to take advantage and prey on generous people who just want to help someone out, Lopez said.
Lopez said her grandmother was shopping by herself in Orchard Supply Hardware on Tenth Street when a man asked if she knew of a certain attorney who could help him collect on a winning lottery ticket. The man said he wasnt from the area and was in the United States illegally. He spoke only Spanish.
Gomez reportedly said she didnt know the lawyer, but the man indicated a woman walking by and said, Lets ask her. The woman made a phone call and said the lawyer could help cash the ticket but would need several thousand dollars in pay.
The three of them verified that the ticket was a winner of $125,000 by checking the lottery numbers at PW Market Place, across the street.
Thats why my grandmother thought, Oh, these people are real. Lopez said.
The man said he would split the money three ways with Gomez and the other women if they would give him money to pay the lawyer. Gomez drove them in her car to the Wells Fargo bank at Nob Hill Foods, withdrew $2,800 and gave it to them. They then asked Gomez to buy stamps while the woman bought paper, and they disappeared.
Lopez said her grandmother reported the incident to city police, but the granddaughter was disappointed that the police officer would not check her grandmothers car for fingerprints. Police Sgt. Noel Provost said the interiors of cars are generally hard to take prints from since so many people have used them before and there are a limited number of hard, smooth surfaces from which prints can easily be lifted.
Gomez also reported the scam to the Lottery Commission, as a spokesperson there confirmed Wednesday.
Past lottery scams have taken place at or outside Wal-Mart, the state Department of Motor Vehicles, Arteagas Super Save and Safeway, according to police.
This "pigeon drop" scam is described at http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/2/24/92635.shtml. I read of a bigger loss in Toronto, Canada recently. It seems this scam is effective anywhere by exploiting not only people's greed, but people's willingness to help.
This "pigeon drop" scam is described at http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/2/24/92635.shtml. I read of a bigger loss in Toronto, Canada recently. It seems this scam is effective anywhere by exploiting not only people's greed, but people's willingness to help.