Cape Coral Police are warning residents to be suspicious of anyone who approaches them for assistance in cashing winning lottery tickets. Four residents in the past six months have been victimized by criminals who are using lottery tickets as a ploy to steal money and jewelry from them.
Lottery scams have been a problem for several years; however, with four victims in six months, Cape police want to remind residents not to fall prey to con artists claiming to have winning lottery tickets that they are either unable to redeem or need assistance to cash.
All of the recent thefts in Cape Coral involved con artists working in teams, and three of the four incidents included a woman using the name “Diana.” All four victims were women, and each was approached by the suspects at Cape Coral retail stores and asked to help cash a winning lottery ticket. The suspects made a phone call to a bogus lottery employee who told the victims that collateral was needed to cash in the ticket. The victims gave the suspects large amounts of money or jewelry totaling thousands of dollars. The victims were tricked into leaving their vehicles for various reasons, and when they returned, the suspects had fled with their property.
Police are advising citizens to be wary if anyone approaches them for a ride or asks for assistance in cashing a lottery ticket. Do not give money or valuables to strangers, and call the Cape Coral Police Department (9-1-1) if anyone asks you do so. For more information on lottery scams, visit the Florida Lottery Web site at www.floridalottery.com

Source: City of Cape Coral