Montgomery County police are searching for two suspects who they say scammed an 87-year-old woman out of $25,000 in cash.
On June 19, police say, the woman was leaving a Giant on New Hampshire Avenue in Silver Spring when another woman began walking next to her. A man approached the two with a black bag full of cash and asked if it belonged to either of them.
The man went on to tell the two women that he worked for the Capital One Bank in the shopping center and would share the money with them — but only if each ponied up $20,000 as a “good faith” contribution beforehand, police said.
The female suspect who had been walking with the 87-year-old immediately pulled out $20,000 in cash, police said. The 87-year-old woman then agreed to contribute cash as well, and withdrew $15,000 from the bank on the spot. She returned to her house and then provided the scammers with jewelry worth more than $10,000, police said.
But when the woman returned to the parking lot, the man was gone, and his female accomplice “made a quick escape,” police said. The woman called police from the bank.
Police are looking for two suspects in the incident, commonly referred to as a “pigeon drop scam.”
The first is a white woman in her late 30s to 40s, 5-feet-4 with a round face. Police said a witness believed she was wearing a wig and might have blond hair, but in a surveillance photo she appears to have dark hair. She was wearing black pants and a green blouse.
The second suspect is a black man in his late 30s to 40s, about 6 feet tall with a medium build and short black hair, with no facial hair. Police described him as a “fast talker,” and said that on the day of the scam he was well-dressed, wearing a white shirt and tie.
Anyone with information about the incident should call the MCPD Financial Crimes Section at 240-773-6330. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call 240-773-TIPS (8477).
