Fremont police are warning people to be wary of a roadside scam in which suspects use a jewelry ruse to steal from victims.
Police said there have been nine such incidents since January and the most recent one occurred last Thursday.
In that incident, a vehicle pulled over to the side of the road where a woman was walking in the 700 block of McDuff Avenue.
Police said that as the woman walked down the street, a man in the passenger seat of a car engaged her in a conversation by asking her for directions.
When the woman approached the car in an effort to help the man and another person in the car, the man told her that his mother had just passed away and it was a cultural custom to give away her jewelry.
Police said the man then handed the victim a ring and placed gold chains, which later were determined to be fake, around her neck but while doing so he removed a real gold necklace from the victim's neck.
The car then left the area.
Local
Fremont police said the nine cases have taken place sporadically throughout the year.
They said in all the cases the suspects placed fake jewelry on their victims while removing jewelry of value.
Police said that although the motive in all the crimes is consistent they can't definitely call the incidents a crime series because there are varying descriptions of the suspects and their vehicle.
Police said that in eight of the nine cases the victims reported the incident involved two suspects, a man and a woman.
They said in two cases the victims said the female suspect had gold front teeth.
Fremont police said the jewelry scam cases all remain open and active investigations and said anyone with information about them should call their Investigative Unit at (510) 790-6900.
