Woman Taken For $10K In Trio's Lotto Scam
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Police are looking for two men who assaulted and robbed a woman of thousands of dollars in a lottery scam.
Investigators said on October 26, 2015, Cristina Font, 58, was approached by the men in a parking lot at 20821 South Dixie Highway.
During their conversation, one of the suspects told Font that he had a winning lotto ticket, but because he was not a legal resident, he couldn't redeem it.
A third member of the scam was then called, posing as a Florida Lottery employee who "verified" the winning numbers.
The scammers then explained that they would need $40,000 as collateral in exchange for allowing Font to cash in the winning ticket and claim the prize.
"The victim then got into the subjects' vehicle and went to her home and bank to retrieve a total of $10,000," Miami-Dade Police said. "The subject then stated they were going to cash the lottery ticket at a location in Homestead and while in route stopped at about S.W. 220 Street and 124 Avenue where one subject began to choke the victim while the second subject stole her purse."
The crooks pulled Font out of the vehicle and fled southbound on S.W. 124th Avenue.
She suffered minor injuries during the incident.
If you recognize the men on video, you can send an anonymous tip to Miami-Dade Police at (305) 471-TIPS.