Police in South San Francisco are searching for a couple who scammed a woman out of money and jewelry with the promise of sharing $100,000 in lottery winnings.
The victim, a 33-year-old South San Francisco woman, was walking in the 300 block of Maple Avenue on Friday when she was approached by a Hispanic man in his 30s with black hair and a patchy beard, police said.
The man asked the victim if she knew of a charity in the area that helped people with immigration paperwork, food and clothing. As the two were talking, a woman in her 30s with blond hair approached them and said she knew of such a charity, but would only show the man where it was if the victim accompanied them in his car.
As the three were driving, the man said he had a winning lottery ticket worth $100,000. The female suspect then pretended to call the lottery commission and claimed to verify the validity of the ticket.
She said the winnings could be claimed if $25,000 was paid up front, police said. The male suspect said he would share the winnings if the women helped him pay the up-front fee.
The suspects drove the victim to her home, where she gathered jewelry and an undisclosed amount of cash, police said. They then drove her to a bank in San Bruno, where she attempted to withdraw more cash. When she came out of the bank, the suspects were gone.
Their vehicle was described as green four-door sedan.
Anyone with information about the lottery scam or the suspects is asked to contact the South San Francisco Police Department at (650) 877-8900 or the anonymous tip line at (650) 829-3700.
-Bay City News
