Seminole County Sheriff’s Office
Crime Prevention Unit
Lottery Scam/Theft of Cash Funds
In 2009, there have been a total of three incidents involving a group of Hispanic individuals who convince victims they need assistance in cashing a winning lottery ticket and then take off with large amounts of the victim’s money. The latest incident was reported approximately a week ago. Although this scam does not get reported on a frequent basis, the dollar loss is high in addition to the shame experienced by victims too embarrassed to report it to law enforcement. The total amount of cash taken ranges from $900 to $17,000.
Typically, a small group of 2 – 3 Hispanic individuals approach a victim outside a store, at a bus stop, or some other public place. The suspects generally target elderly Hispanic individuals. They then engage the victim and create a story about a winning lottery ticket. These stories are often rather complicated; the suspects convince the victim that they have a winning ticket, but cannot cash the ticket without a large deposit in cash. In some instances, the victim was even placed on the phone with a “lottery employee” and was reassured that the cash deposit is a required part of the procedure to obtain the winning amounts. After successfully convincing the victim to assist, driving to the bank and withdrawing several thousand dollars from the victim’s accounts, one of the subjects with feign ill and ask the victim to run into the store for some medicine. While the victim is inside the store, the suspects depart, typically with an excess of $5,000 in cash. In one instance, the victim was driven home to pick up her ID (which she was told would also be required to access funds) and the suspects departed with the cash while the victim was still inside.
Investigators from the Florida Lottery Division of Security advised these incidents are identical to others throughout the country. The suspects are said to originate out of California, but are traveling throughout the nation. Miami Springs PD has also had several incidents and their suspect information is listed below. It is unknown if these are the same subjects committing these incidents in Seminole County. If you have been a victim, please report it to law enforcement. Your information may assist law enforcement in solving similar types of crimes.
Suspect descriptions reported:
- Hispanic Male 1: 30-40 years of age, 5’06 -5’08, 140lbs, black hair, clean shaven
- Hispanic Male 2: 30-32 years of age, 5’11 – 6’01, black hair, brown eyes, shaved eyebrows, muscular build
- Hispanic Female: 35-40 years of age, 5’03, 120lbs, light skinned, slim build |
