Police are looking for a couple who has allegedly been scamming strangers in New York City into giving them thousands of dollars in cash as part of an elaborate fake-lottery winnings plot.
In each case, a woman approaches a victim and claims to be an undocumented immigrant with a winning lottery ticket, according to police. The woman asks the victim if they could help cash the winning ticket.
Then a second suspect, a well-dressed man who sometimes carries a Bible, swoops in and offers to help, claiming to know a lawyer who could help claim the lottery winnings and split the money, police said. The man says the lawyer would require money up front, and that's when the victim is persuaded into giving up cash.
The victims were approached in Manhattan and Brooklyn from March through August, and the suspects have gotten anywhere from $450 to $6,000 in cash from each victim, plus up to $3,600 worth of jewelry, according to police.
The victims were all women, ranging in age from 28 to 81.
The male suspect is described as being in his 50s, about 5 feet 3 inches in height with a slim build. The female suspect is in her 40s to 50s, about 4 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 3 inches tall and known to wear a wig.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.
