Two men used a classic lottery scam to take about $5,000 in jewelry from a Queens woman, then vanished while she was inside a pharmacy.
Quick Take
- Police say the suspects claimed they had a winning lottery ticket they could not cash.
- The woman traded jewelry worth about $5,000 for the supposed ticket.
- The men sent her into a nearby pharmacy, then fled with the jewelry.
- The case fits a familiar fraud pattern that targets trust and urgency.
How the Scam Unfolded in Queens
According to police reporting, the woman was approached in Queens by two men in a BMW near 86th Avenue and 78th Street in Ozone Park. The men told her they had a winning lottery ticket but could not claim it because of their immigration status. They then persuaded her to hand over jewelry valued at roughly $5,000 in exchange for the ticket, which turned out to be part of the con.
After the handoff, the suspects asked the woman to buy pain medicine for them at a nearby pharmacy. While she went inside, they drove off with her jewelry and left her with nothing. Police later released images of the suspects and asked the public for help identifying them. The reported tactic matches a known street scam built on pressure, confusion, and a promise of easy money.
A Familiar Fraud Playbook
This Queens case follows a pattern that consumer watchdogs have warned about for years. The Federal Trade Commission says prize scams often begin with a claim that the target has won something valuable, then shift into a demand for money or personal property before the prize can be claimed. The Better Business Bureau gives the same warning and says real prizes do not require payment to receive them.
New York police have seen similar schemes across the city, often involving strangers who approach older people and offer a cut of supposed winnings. In one Queens case, police said a 70-year-old woman handed over cash and jewelry after being told about a winning ticket. In another Bronx case, police said suspects used a lottery ticket ruse to steal jewelry from an 80-year-old woman.
Why the Scheme Keeps Working
The scam works because it turns a simple pitch into a fast decision. The target is told there is a prize, a reason to trust the strangers, and a chance to benefit right away. That mix can make people skip basic checks. The Federal Trade Commission says victims should never pay to get a prize or hand over account information, personal details, or valuables to claim winnings.
Police have not said whether the Queens suspects were tied to other recent lottery scams, but other New York reports show the tactic is common. In one warning video, a detective said scammers ask for “collateral” in exchange for a larger payout, which is how the fraud traps victims into handing over cash or jewelry. The message for readers is simple: if a stranger says you won something, treat it as a warning, not a windfall.
Sources:
nypost.com, cbsnews.com, queenspost.com, abc7ny.com, stockmanbank.com
