A 69-year-old Queens woman lost roughly $5,000 in jewelry after two men allegedly duped her with a fake lottery-ticket story, claiming they could not cash in the supposed jackpot because of their immigration status, police said.
According to the NYPD, the woman was approached around 10:50 a.m. Saturday outside 86-75 78 St. in Woodhaven, after the two suspects pulled up beside her in a gray BMW.
Police said the men got out of the vehicle and told the victim they were carrying a winning lottery ticket, but insisted they were unable to claim the prize themselves due to their immigration situation.
Investigators did not immediately say how large a jackpot the suspects claimed the ticket was worth.
The alleged scammers persuaded the woman to exchange her jewelry — valued by police at about $5,000 — for the purported winning ticket, authorities said.
After obtaining the jewelry, the men allegedly continued the ruse by asking the woman to go into a nearby pharmacy and purchase pain medication for them, police said.
Once she went inside the store, the suspects fled with her belongings, according to authorities.
Police have released images of the two men wanted in connection with the Queens lottery scam. One suspect was pictured wearing a white shirt, khaki pants and a newsboy-style cap, while the other was dressed entirely in black, including a black baseball cap.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at on X @NYPDTips.
