West Texas authorities are urging residents to be on the lookout for con artists running what has been dubbed the "Latin lotto scam."Investigators said a Tahoka woman was bilked out of $9,000 on Saturday.
She told authorities that a Hispanic woman approached her at a Slaton store and said she needed $20,000 to collect on a lottery ticket worth $24,000.
Slaton is 15 miles southeast of Lubbock.
The victim said she had only $9,000, but a man posing as a passer-by offered to cover the difference.
The victim said she obtained the money, but when they went to Lubbock for the man's $11,000, the pair disappeared.
Authorities said the scheme preys on elderly Hispanics with a promise of part of the proceeds from a winning lottery ticket in exchange for cash up front.
The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reports the con artist usually said he can't cash the ticket because he's not a U.S. citizen.
Its is just another form of the "pigeon drop". People are usually scammed because they want something for nothing......she should have smelled a big rat specially when a "passer by" offered to throw in the difference from the good of his heart..by the way, anyone can cash in a winning lottery ticket..US resident or not.
I think it was P.T. Barnum who said there was a sucker born every minute. I'll keep posting the stories; hopefully some people will be helped.
I hope so, THANKS Todd.
Someone once said there no fool like an old fool. Is it that these scams work better on older folks or is it that young fools don't have enough money to get scammed or don't tell anyone when it happens?
RJOh
My old man used to tell me that if it looks like it, feels like it & smells like it, it usually is --it ! words to live by.