Woman Victimized in Scam; Pair Sought

Police were searching Wednesday for two women they said used a “bait and switch” scam to steal more than $2,300 from a 72-year-old Cypress resident.

The victim, whose name was not released, was tricked Monday by a woman who claimed to have a winning lottery ticket, according to Det. Dode Merriman.

The suspect said she was unable to cash the ticket herself and promised the victim $4,000 if she helped, Merriman said. The suspect asked the victim to put up more than $2,000 to prove she would cash in the ticket in good faith, police said.

The second suspect played along with the scam, Merriman said. When the victim was distracted, one of the suspects swapped a zippered bag containing the money with a bag containing shredded newspaper. The pair then made off with the woman’s savings, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call La Palma police at (714) 523-4552.