Two Men Traded a ‘Winning’ Lottery Ticket for Her $5,000 Jewelry, Then Vanished at a Pharmacy

Two men are being sought in New York after police say they convinced a 69-year-old woman to exchange about $5,000 worth of jewelry for a supposed winning lottery ticket, then disappeared while she was inside a pharmacy.

The woman was walking on 78th Street in Woodhaven, Queens, at around 10:50 a.m. on August 8 when two men approached her after arriving in a light gray BMW SUV.

Police say the strangers told her they possessed a winning lottery ticket but could not collect the prize because of their immigration status. They persuaded her to give them her jewelry in exchange for the ticket.

According to QNS, officers from the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct are now searching for both men.

The Immigration Story Was Part of the Pitch

The encounter happened near 86-75 78th St. in Woodhaven. Police say the two men pulled up in the BMW, got out and approached the woman with a story about possessing a valuable lottery ticket they supposedly could not redeem themselves.

Their explanation centered on immigration status. Investigators say the men claimed that restriction left them unable to collect the supposed prize and created a reason for them to offer the ticket to someone else instead. The New York Lottery’s official prize-claim information recognizes forms of identification that include foreign passports, while its tax guidelines specifically address withholding for federal nonresident aliens.

They persuaded the woman to exchange jewelry valued by police at approximately $5,000 for the ticket. Investigators have made clear is that the exchange itself is being treated as a scam and the jewelry as property obtained from the victim through deception.

They Sent Her Into a Pharmacy and Drove Away

After obtaining the jewelry, the two men did not immediately leave. Police say they instead asked the woman to purchase pain medication for them at a nearby pharmacy.

She went inside the store while the pair remained outside. When she returned, both men and the light gray BMW SUV were gone. FOX 5 New York, citing the NYPD, reported that the woman was not injured during the encounter.

The NYPD subsequently released surveillance images as investigators worked to identify the two men. Police described one suspect as wearing a white shirt, khaki pants and a newsboy-style cap. The second was dressed in black clothing and wore a black baseball cap. As of the latest public reporting, police had not identified either suspect or announced an arrest.

A Lottery Ticket Should Be Verified Before You Trade Anything for It

A legitimate ticket can be checked through official lottery channels. The New York Lottery provides official winning numbers, ticket-checking information and instructions for claiming prizes.

Claims about citizenship, immigration status, taxes or an inability to personally collect a prize should also be independently checked. New York Lottery guidance includes procedures for nonresident winners and federal nonresident-alien tax withholding, so a vague claim that someone’s immigration status prevents any prize collection should not be taken at face value.

The Federal Trade Commission advises people to slow down when a supposed prize requires them to hand over money or valuable property. Scammers often create urgency or a complicated explanation designed to prevent potential victims from stopping to verify the story. The NYPD asks anyone with information about the Woodhaven case to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-577-8477. Tips can be submitted anonymously.