Hello, Clawson! If you want to hear about an actual crime trend, keep reading. We promise our usual posts with donut jokes will return soon.
This time we want to share a scam that is more common in other parts of the country but has made its way to Michigan. The "fake jewelry scam," like other scams, has many variations.
Last month, a resident was outside working in their yard when the suspects approached in an SUV. The driver called the victim over and said that he wanted to give the victim a blessing. The suspect then put several pieces of jewelry on the victim before driving away. Later, the victim noticed that their necklace was stolen and the jewelry the suspect gave them was fake.
The details of this type of scam vary, but usually ends with the victim unknowingly trading real jewelry for worthless junk. Most commonly, the suspect will swap the jewelry before the victim realizes what has happened. In more rare cases, the suspect removes the jewelry by force (robbery).
The suspects often appear as a family and may have children in the car. The suspect will tell a hard luck story, claiming they are from out of town, or another country and need money for gas, food, etc. They may say that they are wealthy but cannot access their money because of a theft or some other emergency. They may offer to sell the victim jewelry claiming that it is very valuable in exchange for cash. If you want to help a stranger with directions, make sure to keep your distance. If you are the victim of this type of crime, please call the police without delay.
To learn more about this and other scams, visit the National Association of Bunco Investigators website at: https://www.nabihq.org/cons-and-scams.html
Original source can be found here.
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