El Monte Police Seek Suspects In Lottery Scam
EL MONTE (CBS) — Police Friday sought the public's help to find three people who defrauded an El Monte woman out of $28,000 in a lottery scam.
On April 4, the suspects befriended the 52-year-old woman, who speaks only Spanish, and convinced her that they had a $1.7-million lottery ticket, El Monte police Detective Tim Siedentopp said.
They told the woman they needed money to help them cash the ticket, and they would give her a $15,000 payment, Siedentopp said.
The suspects drove her to two Bank of America branches in El Monte, and she withdrew $20,000 from one bank and $8,000 from another, Siedentopp said.
She gave the suspects the money, and they drove her to a market, where they asked her to buy them some water "while a suspect made a photocopy of the lottery ticket prior to responding to a lottery office in Temple City to collect their winnings," Siedentopp said.
When the woman lost sight of the suspects, they fled.
Police released security photos of one suspect, a woman described as Hispanic, about 30-35, 5 feet 2 inches to 5 feet 4 inches tall, with a medium build. She had brown hair and brown eyes.
She was accompanied by a Hispanic man of about the same age and height. A description of the third suspect was not released.
Anyone with information about the case was urged to call police.
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