3 Con Artists Sought in Scam Targeting Latinas

Sheriff’s investigators said Monday that they are seeking three people suspected of stealing thousands of dollars in a long-running lottery scam that targets Latinas.

In recent years, the three have taken amounts ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 from victims by promising them million-dollar winnings on lottery tickets, said Jim Amormino, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

Typically, he said, one person will approach someone on the street and ask for directions or engage in small talk. The con artist, usually a woman, will say she has won the lottery but is unable to claim the prize because she is an illegal immigrant. She will offer to sell the ticket to the victim and propose sharing the winnings, Amormino said. Often an accomplice helps to persuade the victim to participate, he said.

“There have been at least 25 cases in the last couple of years,” Amormino said. “A lot of people [fall] for this.”

One of the three suspects is described as a man 5 feet, 8 inches tall, between 50 and 60 years old, with a stocky build. He has black hair, brown eyes and wears glasses.

The second is a man described as 5 feet, 5 inches tall, 35 to 40 years old with dark curly hair. Investigators gave no description of the woman.