A criminal case in San Francisco is sure to get a lot of attention because the suspect has found a unique way to con people.
Police say a man named Alan Young, who is also wanted for outstanding arrest warrants, has been impersonating Motown celebrities in an effort to scam people out of money, dining and hotel rooms.
Police say Young uses his stolen status to entice "star-struck" business owners into wining and dining him, as well as providing him with lodging and entertainment.
Here's how he rolls, according to police: Young simply walks into a business and starts making false promises that he will use or buy whatever the business owner is offering. He chats up folks and then introduces himself as a celebrity. He is also known to hang out at hotel bars and restaurants looking for his prey.
Police say in a recent case, Young entered an art gallery and introduced himself as Motown song writer Lamont Dozier. He pretended to be interested in buying $75,000 worth of art for a home he said he owned in Pasadena. Young, posing as Dozier then asked an employee to write up the sale and then bring the invoice to a bar across the street. During that break, the people in the gallery did an online search of Lamont Dozier and determined the man who was just in the store wasn't him. That case ended with no personal loss to the gallery, but police say it's a good example of what other businesses in the City should watch out for.
Police say Young is only 57-years-old, but appears much older.
They say if you come in contact with him you should call 9-1-1 or the San Francisco Police Department.
