WILLIAMSBURG — An elderly woman was duped out of more than $4,000 in cash and jewelry after a pair of scammers promised to cut her in on the prize money from a phony contest if she helped them claim the reward, police said.
The con began on June 10, when the 60-year-old victim was leaving Colour Beauty Supply at 70 Graham Ave. was approached by two strangers about 12:30 p.m. who convinced her that they'd won a prize, but couldn't cash out because they didn't have the right documents, police said.
But instead of providing documentation, the two managed to trick the woman into believing that if she put down a deposit of jewelry and cash, they could all reap the rewards of the prize, though it's not clear from the police report, what that prize was exactly.
The woman got in a van with the duo and they drove her to her home around the corner on Stagg Street where she went into her apartment and collected $3,500 cash, a gold ring worth $450 and a gold chain worth $600, police said.
She gave the valuables to the men who insisted that they still needed proof of her address in order to collect the prize, so she left the van and rushed to get it.
But before she could return, the van sped off with the woman's cash and jewelry.
The woman's daughter-in-law managed to take a picture of the van's license plate before it disappeared, police said.
Police are investigating the incident though no arrests had been made as of Tuesday. Workers at Colour Beauty Supply hadn't heard of the scam.
