View from the cop: Crime & punishment
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AJC.com > Metro > View from the cop > Archives > 2008 > October > 31
Friday, October 31, 2008
The scams just keep coming
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I spoke to a senior group this week and out of about two-dozen in the audience, three said they have been approached before by someone claiming to have found a bag of money. This is an old, old con that still plays out today. It’s a found-money scam also known as a “Pigeon Drop” scam.
It normally begins with a well-dressed woman approaching the victim, usually a female senior citizen who is either getting into a car or about to get out. She informs the intended victim she found the money and doesn’t know what to do with it. She gains the trust of the victim who, in most cases, gives her a short ride to her “office” or other location where she supposedly works. The con-artist gets out, goes inside, and then returns to tell the victim her “boss” said they could split the money if no one claims it.
Although the scam can go in several directions, in most cases the money is supposedly put in escrow for 30 days or so. During this time, the victim and suspect exchange phone numbers. The victim is usually called that night by the woman who exclaims that the bag contained a lot of money plus winning lotto tickets and whatever else will excite the victim. She tells the victim that in a month they’ll all be much wealthier than before. The point here is to instill some greed into the victim. (Something for nothing.)
Long story somewhat shorter—the victim is soon contacted by a man who is much more intimidating. He tells the victim that she should absolutely NOT talk about this to anyone or they risk not getting all that money. Soon the same intimidating man convinces the victim she should contribute money as “earnest” money or even “tax” money. The reason always varies but the con is to get the victim to start funneling money to the nice young woman. They meet several times and she contributes money. Sometimes it’s a bait and switch with a money bag or sometimes, like a case we had here, the bad guys allow the victim to keep the suitcase (locked) with the large sum of cash, while they all put up a few thousand dollars in cash. Of course, the only one putting up money is the victim.
Although this scam has many different variations, its foundation is to present the victim with an initial good fortune of found money. That should be the key that something is wrong.
Look for this scam to initiate in parking lots of shopping centers or other areas where seniors frequent.
PHISHING Scam
This victim received an e-mail from AOL stating he needed to update his account by the end of October or else the account would be terminated. The e-mail had a link to the billing department which took the victim to an area requesting personal information including a credit card number, SSN, DOB, and mother’s maiden name among other things. After the victim complied and provided this info, it was determined the e-mail was fraud.
Don’t be fooled by elaborate and legitimate looking e-mails and website designs accompanied by unsolicited requests for personal information. Contact the company via the legit website and inquire about this e-mail or any attempt, out of the blue, requesting sensitive information.
Some of the crime reports received recently by Sandy Springs police:
Bozo alert Two men went into the office building in the 5900 block of Lake Forrest Drive, representing themselves as office furniture salesmen. They spoke to an office manager who, by this report, was a whole lot smarter than they were. She asked for a business card and a catalog for which they had none. She asked which company they worked for and they gave her the name of a company in Canton, GA. The office manager contacted that company who told her they did not do door-to-door sales.
The two geniuses figured out things were not going well and left. The two men were videoed.
More clown news
A man reported that someone forced open his front apartment door and took his watch with a chain and clown-faced pendent.
People Needing Tranquility
Police were called to an apartment. They talked to Freddy who said Annie hit him in the head with a salt shaker.
And the crime beat goes on
A condo association purchased just under $1600 in roofing material. Later, a white van was seen in the area where the material was and later still, the material was stolen. Some time later a subject in a white van came by and offered to sell roofing material. The phone on the van was listed to a roofing company. Again, not too smart on the part of the suspects and arrogant to boot, but stolen material like that is hard to identify. Criminals do return to the scene of the crime.
Never do this!
A woman told officers that she was eating at a restaurant when she got up to go to the bathroom. She left her purse hanging on the back of the chair. She returned to find out the purse had been stolen.
