San Mateo police seek pair linked to lotto scam

Tuesday, January 24, 2006 posted 10:18 AM EST

SAN MATEO - The San Mateo Police Department is searching for two people who have reportedly scammed several San Mateo County residents out of more than $50,000 by claiming to be the winners of a lottery, San Mateo Police Lt. Tom Daughtry said today.

Police report that the scam involves one person approaching Spanish-speaking elderly persons outside a retail store and telling them they won a lottery but that they need help cashing the winning ticket.

A second person often poses as a stranger who becomes involved in the scam in order to give it a greater sense of legitimacy, Daughtry reported.

The scammers then stage a phony call to a lottery official to confirm that the ticket is a winner, he said.

The scammers accompany the victim to another location, sometimes a bank, and promise to share their winnings with those willing to put up good-faith money.

Once the scammers have the victim's money they organize some type of distraction and leave the victim empty-handed, according to police.

In November 2005, a 68-year-old San Mateo woman was similarly defrauded of about $15,000, the department reported.

According to Daughtry, the pair have scammed about a half-dozen San Mateo County residents.

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