OAK PARK, Mich. – No matter how often warnings are issued, or how outlandish a scheme is, people still become victims of scams. One Oak Park woman is out thousands of dollars after she fell victim to a very intricate type of scheme called a "pigeon drop."
A pigeon drop scam is when a scam victim, the pigeon, is convinced to hand over money with the promise they'll get much more money back.
A woman in Oak Park was victimized in a pigeon drop scam for more than $20,000. Police are asking for the public's help to make sure nobody else falls for it.
Police are looking for three people accused of stealing more than $20,000 from the Oak Park woman last October.
It began when a woman walked up to the victim in a dollar store parking lot at Nine Mile Road and Collidge Highway, police said. She showed the victim a box filled with cash.
"Basically, they promised her a portion of that money if she paid them some of hers," Oak Park Police Lt. Troy Taylor said.
Unfortunately, the victim believed the woman, took her home and gave her money, police said.
"Then these people left and were never seen again," Taylor said.
In June, the victim said she got a call from a man claiming to be an Oak Park police detective. He convinced her that in order to keep investigating, she had to pay him, police said. She said she also drove him around to several banks and check-cashing stores, getting cashier's checks and trying to cash them in.
"At that point, the victim got suspicious and asked the clerk to call the police," Taylor said.
When that happened, the man fled with another man, according to police.
The two men and the woman from the October encounter got more than $20,000 from the woman, police said.
Detectives also believe there are other victims out there. Anyone who has been scammed is asked to call police to help solve the case.
Anyone who recognizes the three people is asked to call Oak Park police, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.