Ex-Convict Accused of Con Game

A convicted scam artist tricked a 67-year-old retiree out of $103 by promising to consolidate her utility bills into one payment, police alleged Tuesday.

Lorenzo Beamon, 27, was arrested last week at a Mt. Washington apartment complex on suspicion of petty theft and could face an additional burglary charge, police said.

Los Angeles Police Det. D.C. Webb said authorities believe that Beamon was the man who claimed that he worked for the Department of Water and Power when he visited Mamie Allen’s home in South-Central Los Angeles in June.

Immediately after the visit, the man went to a Bank of America branch four blocks from Allen’s home and cashed a $103 check that she had given him as a payment toward her bills. Although the con man gave a different name, he asked that Allen make her check out to “Lorenzo Beamon,” police said.

Allen grew suspicious and contacted police when the bank returned her cashed check before the utility company credited her with the supposed payment.

Webb said Beamon’s driver’s license number was on the endorsed check.

Investigators are trying to determine whether Beamon victimized others in similar schemes. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Aug. 26.

Beamon was released from prison in January after serving three years for scams including duping an 83-year-old woman into giving him a check for $800, Webb said.

Beamon told the woman that she had won an $8,000 sweepstakes prize but needed to pay 10% in taxes before she collected her winnings, Webb said.

After his most recent arrest, Beamon told police that he has been working for a Covina-based telemarketing company. If true, that job would have given Beamon access to information about Allen and perhaps others, Webb said.

“He had access to her address, her age and maybe even her checking balance,” he said.