Police: Duo Swindled $90,000 From 80-Year-Old Queens Woman In Lottery Scam
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- An 80-year-old Queens woman was swindled out of $90,000 in a lottery scam, police said.
A woman walked up to the victim on Jamaica Avenue last Wednesday and asked for her help cashing a winning lottery ticket, police said.
The suspect claimed she was an illegal immigrant and couldn't cash the ticket herself, according to the Daily News. A male accomplice then came over, told the victim he was putting up collateral and that she should do the same so she could get a piece of the lottery winnings, the paper reported.
After agreeing to the deal, the victim withdrew $90,000 from her bank account and handed it to the suspects.
The suspects then drove the victim back to her house and asked her to show them a utility bill to verify her address, police said. When the victim walked out of her house with the paperwork, police said the suspects were gone.
Police have released photos of the suspect, as well as a picture of the Jeep Cherokee Latitude they were using.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS, log onto the Crime Stoppers website, or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) and enter TIP577.