Latin Lotto

LATIN LOTTO

Victims in these cases are normally Hispanic and the suspects are male and female Hispanics. The suspects normally speak only Spanish while playing this offense.

The first suspect, who claims to be looking for an attorney, approaches the victim on the street. The suspect goes on to say that he has a winning lottery ticket but is afraid to cash it as he is in the country illegally. The second suspect joins the scenario and the story is told again. The first suspect either offers to pay the two a substantial amount of money or sell them the winning ticket at a great discount for assistance in cashing the ticket. Once the victim agrees to help, the suspect claims to want proof that they know how to handle money or needs currency to purchase or redeem the ticket and induces the victim to withdraw several thousand dollars. Once the money is withdrawn it is taken from the victim either in a switch or, more frequently, by sending the victim into a drug store and driving off. In this scenario, one of the suspects feigns sickness throughout the offense and pretends to very ill when the victim returns from the bank. The victim is sent into the drug store for medicine and the suspects drive off.