Crime Alert: 'Pigeon Drop' Scam Swindles Victim Out of Thousands

Editor's Note: The following is a Richfield Public Safety Department crime alert.

Recently, a Richfield senior was approached in the Rainbow Foods parking lot by a black female driving a navy blue Dodge Caravan. TUV835. The suspect is described as 45 to 50 years old, 5’4”, 160 pounds, straight gray hair, and wearing a medium length purple coat. The suspect wore lots of jewelry and was well dressed.

The suspect showed the victim a medium sized package and said that she was a courier. She claimed she was trying to deliver the package but couldn’t because the address was bad. She stated the post office informed her it would go into the dead letter file and would not be delivered.

The suspect asked the victim to sit in her car and use her phone to call her boss regarding the package. She then requested a ride to a nearby bank. The suspect indicated that she went in to see her boss and came back
out and said that there was a lot of money in the package and child pornography. She was told by her boss that no one would claim it because they would go to prison if they did. The suspect informed the victim that they could split the $170,000 in cash plus some bonds. She also stated they both needed to get $12,000 each for “fees.”

The suspect and victim drove to several banks in order to obtain money from the victim’s accounts. The suspect never entered any of the financial institutions, and at the last bank, disappeared with the package and $8000 in cash.

Residents, especially seniors, should be wary when approached by strangers. Please call 911 immediately to report suspicious behavior and/or similar solicitations.

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