Police reported that a 56-year-old woman fell victim to a scam known as the “Lottery Scam” in the South Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, New York, and lost approximately $15,000 in cash and jewelry.
The incident occurred around 12:55 p.m. on May 19th (Tuesday) in front of 700 Broadway. A stranger approached the victim, claiming to have won a lottery prize but was unable to claim it due to immigration issues.
Subsequently, another woman and two additional men joined the conversation and collectively convinced the victim that by assisting in claiming the prize, she would receive a portion of the winnings as a reward.
Under the persuasion of the group, the victim handed over cash and jewelry worth around $15,000 as a “guarantee” to assist in claiming the prize. The victim then followed the group onto a gray Subaru Forester SUV and was driven to another location.
Upon arrival at the destination, the suspects fled with the victim’s cash and jewelry, leaving the victim realizing she had been scammed.
Currently, the police are tracking down the four suspects involved in the case. The first male suspect is around 50 years old, of medium build, wearing a navy blue shirt, blue pants, and black shoes. The second male suspect is also of medium build. The third female suspect is slim, wearing a light-colored shirt, black pants, a black fisherman hat, and light-colored shoes. The fourth male suspect has fair skin, a slim build, wearing a light long-sleeved shirt, green pants, brown shoes, and a dark baseball cap.
Anyone with information is urged to call the city police’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-8477 or visit the Crime Stoppers website or submit tips through social media accounts @NYPDTips. All calls will be kept strictly confidential.