They’re Pros at Cons

You think you could never be swindled by a con artist--until it happens to you, as it did to these Southland residents.

Maria, a homemaker, was approached by a man on the street who said he’d won the lottery--$1 million. Because he was in this country illegally, he said, he feared being deported if he tried to cash in his ticket. As he was asking Maria to help him, another man stopped to see if anything was wrong. The “lottery winner” repeated his story, offering to share his winnings with both of them. They phoned a number he gave them and verified that he was a big winner.

What Maria didn’t know was that the person on the telephone was a plant, as was the man who’d “happened” along. On cue, the latter insisted on putting up good faith money before taking the ticket to cash. He left, returning with $5,000. The lottery winner then asked Maria if she wanted to be counted in and found her eager. He quickly drove her to the bank, where she withdrew $8,000 and handed it over.

He, in turn, gave her the lottery ticket and told her to meet him and the other man later to divide the winnings. But when Maria went to cash in the ticket, she was told it was altered and invalid. The two men failed to show up, of course, at the agreed meeting place. Maria, bilked of $8,000, was afraid to tell her husband, but finally reported the con to police.

Lt. Kenneth E. Welty, who heads the Bunco/Forgery Division, LAPD Bunco Section, says lottery scams are common. The con artist simply buys a lottery ticket, using the numbers from a recent winning ticket, and alters the date.

There are many variations on this scheme.

In one instance, rather than the con artist be a no-show, the con artist takes the victim’s money, gives the victim a pouch alleged to contain the lottery money and disappears. Opening the pouch, the victim finds only paper beneath a few greenbacks.

Welty says, “People are trusting by nature” and inclined to help. He points out, however, that basic greed often gets people in trouble and some have lost their life’s savings.

Bunco--a form of fraud, specifically a street crime involving trickery--differs from other types of fraud in that there is no product or service involved. Rather, the perpetrator targets those he has determined have enough readily accessible cash to make it worthwhile and plays upon their avarice or ignorance. Typically, there is an offer of something for nothing.

Sgt. Barbara White of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department Forgery-Fraud Detail says, “If they can tap into someone’s emotions, they can get money out of them. This can be done at your door, on the phone, with a flier or postcard or a meeting on the street. Even worldly people will fall for this. Your emotions override your logic.”

The more credible scams target intelligent victims, frequently successful business owners. In one such scheme, the victim receives by mail an official-looking document from a far-off country. It promises 30% of a huge monetary windfall from a foreign petroleum company in return for a modest investment--enough to cover taxes and transfer of funds to the person’s bank account. The victim’s in luck, he’s told, because the deal involves a U.S. contract for a firm based in a country whose citizens aren’t permitted to hold foreign bank accounts.

In another scam, the victim is informed that a wealthy American missionary has died and left millions to a church or organization close to the victim’s heart. To get the windfall, of course, the victim must ante up thousands in good faith money.

Sometimes the scent of a bargain lands people in trouble. John, a businessman and baseball card collector, saw a newspaper ad for a Mickey Mantle rookie card from the ‘50s for $1,500. He knew such a card was worth up to $10,000.

When John called, the card owner said he was pressed for time but could meet him at a 7-Eleven in the San Fernando Valley and bring cash. Although the seller had assured John he had only one such card, John soon began seeing the same ad. Suspicious, he alerted police. John then took his card to an expert and learned it was a fake.

Here are the most common scams, according to Welty and White:

Door Knockers

Someone comes to your door dressed as a delivery person and asks you to pay the C.O.D. charge on a package that your neighbor, who’s not at home, urgently wants. You pay--and later learn that your neighbor had ordered nothing.

Two strangers get into your home by asking for a glass of water, to use the bathroom or to use the phone to report a car accident. While one distracts you, the other is lifting your jewelry or money. These con artists may be elderly, with a folksy approach about having once lived nearby. The stranger may claim to be a utility employee or even a police officer.

Welty and White advise: If someone unknown to you comes to your door, have the person wait outside while you call the agency they claim to represent to verify their identity. And, they add, look up the agency’s number yourself--don’t use the one given to you by the stranger.

Telephone Scams

You are solicited by someone purporting to represent a charity with which you aren’t familiar, but which sounds like one that is well known. Beware, say White and Welty, if told that your check can be picked up or can be sent by any means other than regular mail. Criminals know that mail fraud is a felony.

Sweepstakes

You receive a letter or phone call saying you’ve won an expensive prize or a large sum of money--all yours if you’ll just pay the tax. In some cases, Welty and White say, people have sent in as much as $50,000, hoping to collect a fortune. They never see any money.

Often, Welty says, con artists will recontact a victim, offering to recover their money--for a fee. The caller may claim to represent a private investigator or an attorney who has a victims’ list and is preparing a class action suit. The caller may even offer condolences. The truth: Criminals sell lists of victims to other criminals.

A large, unexpected “check” comes in the mail. Reading the fine print in the accompanying letter, you learn that you must pay a steep charge to call a 900 number to determine what you’ve actually won. What do you get? Perhaps a small merchandise discount worth less than what you spent on the call. That’s how the company makes money. Many of these letters have Orange County postmarks.

How to Stop the Racket

* Don’t discuss your personal finances with anyone.

* Don’t expect to get something for nothing, especially from strangers on the street.

* Don’t draw cash out of a bank at the suggestion of a stranger.

* Check out a suspicious charity through the L.A. County Department of Social Services or your local city hall.

* When solicited by phone, ask for the exact name of the organization, look up the number and call before donating.

* Overcome your embarrassment and call police if you suspect a scam. If asked, do testify in court to help stop this kind of crime.

There are hundreds of variations on the above rackets. As Welty says, “If it’s too good to be true . . . it is.”

Numbers to know: LAPD bunco section, (213) 485-3795. L.A.County Sheriff’s Department Forgery-Fraud Detail, (562) 946-7212. U.S. Postal Service crime hotline, (800) 654-8896.