2 German Tourists Lose Pants to Swindlers

Two German tourists who answered an advertisement for jeans in a German newspaper were defrauded of $64,000 Saturday when they gave the cash to three men who then vanished, police said.

James Bragg, 30, from Merzalben, Germany, and Wolfgang Hartmann, 41, from Sulzbach, Germany, had answered the ad inviting them to “come to the United States and make arrangements to purchase jeans,” said Costa Mesa Sgt. Bob Durham.

The pair flew to San Diego, where they contacted the men and arranged to meet them Friday at the Red Lion Inn, 3050 Bristol St., Durham said.

Bragg and Hartmann withdrew the cash and met the men at the hotel. Hartmann then left with two of the men and handed them the $64,000, Durham said. On Saturday, Bragg and Hartmann called police and said they could not find the three men.

Durham added: “No jeans have materialized.”