Woman Falls Into Con Artists’ Trap by Lure of ‘Gold’ and a Good Deed

Higinia Perez, 72, thought she could do a good deed and at the same time make almost $20,000. But the widow, who lives on Social Security, got caught in a cruel con job, officials say.

In the process, she lost her meager savings and her jewelry.

“God punished me for taking out the money,” Perez said tearfully, in Spanish. Her daughter--one of nine children--translated.

Her story began Wednesday as she was leaving a K mart in Valencia about noon. Perez was approached by a man who appeared to be about 40 years old, she said. He told her his son had been struck by a car and was badly injured.

The man was carrying three metal bars, each with “24K” etched into them. These “gold” bars, he told her, had fallen from the car during the accident. He was hoping to find the driver and trade them for money needed to help pay his son’s medical expenses.

A second man approached and upon hearing the story, suggested he that could sell one of the bars to K mart, Perez said. This second man walked into the store with one of the bars and returned with an envelope full of cash, she said. The store had paid him $20,000 for the bar, he said, but could not buy the others until an armored truck arrived with more cash at 4 p.m.

The first man said he could not wait that long. The second man offered to buy a bar for $10,000 and brought the cash from a nearby building he said was his office. The second man encouraged Perez to get in on the deal. The first man said he would accept whatever she could pay.

Perez saw a chance to make the money she needed to pay off her car loan and help her children financially. Plus, she could help the man with the medical expenses.

Perez drove the men to her bank. She withdrew $300 from her checking account and then gave them $500 in household emergency cash. She also handed over various pieces of jewelry.

Back at the K mart parking lot, the two men got out. The second one arranged to meet her there at 4 p.m. When nobody came, she went into the store and told her story to the manager. He told her she had been robbed, and she contacted authorities.

Her metal bar probably is brass, she was told by sheriff’s deputies. Both men are at large.