09-10-2008, 11:33 AM
A Buffalo Grove woman was defrauded out of $9,000 by two con artists who told her they had a winning lottery ticket and needed help cashing it, police said Tuesday.
Police said the 57-year-old victim was approached Monday while shopping at Wal-Mart, at 1455 E. Lake Cook Rd., Wheeling.
Two women told the victim that they were in the country illegally and needed help collecting on a winning lottery ticket. In return, they said, they would give the victim $40,000, said Buffalo Grove police Cmdr. Steve Husak.
Outside the store, one of the women called a phone number, then told the victim that they needed $20,000 to cash the ticket, Husak said.
The victim drove the two to her house in Buffalo Grove and got $4,000. She then drove to her bank, also in Buffalo Grove, where she withdrew an additional $5,000. She put the money in a purse and gave it to the women, Husak said.
The women asked to be driven to a Walgreens at 1701 N. Buffalo Grove Rd., where the victim became suspicious and asked that her purse be returned. It was, but the purse was stuffed with paper and the women fled, officials said.
Detectives were reviewing video from surveillance cameras at Wal-Mart, the bank and the drugstore, Husak said.
Police said the 57-year-old victim was approached Monday while shopping at Wal-Mart, at 1455 E. Lake Cook Rd., Wheeling.
Two women told the victim that they were in the country illegally and needed help collecting on a winning lottery ticket. In return, they said, they would give the victim $40,000, said Buffalo Grove police Cmdr. Steve Husak.
Outside the store, one of the women called a phone number, then told the victim that they needed $20,000 to cash the ticket, Husak said.
The victim drove the two to her house in Buffalo Grove and got $4,000. She then drove to her bank, also in Buffalo Grove, where she withdrew an additional $5,000. She put the money in a purse and gave it to the women, Husak said.
The women asked to be driven to a Walgreens at 1701 N. Buffalo Grove Rd., where the victim became suspicious and asked that her purse be returned. It was, but the purse was stuffed with paper and the women fled, officials said.
Detectives were reviewing video from surveillance cameras at Wal-Mart, the bank and the drugstore, Husak said.