Friday’s Mega Millions lotto is worth at least $200 million and this may have brought more quick-buck scammers out to prey, prompting Riverside police to warn people to be on the lookout.
Victims "will have somebody call them and claim to have a lottery ticket that is worth $50,000 that they can’t cash," said police spokesman David Smith. "And that for $15,000, they can produce the ticket. The suspects tell the victim they only have $10,000, you have five and we’ll split it."
Silvia Canchola was one of four Riverside women, all of them Spanish-speaking, who identified the same suspects who carried out a lottery scam. Canchola lost $500 dollars.
Riverside police believe there other victims still out there.
"Usually in cases like this there are victims too embarrassed to come forward," Smith said.
Still, the threat of being swindled has not dampened the excitement many lotto players feel toward Friday’s Mega Millions.
"You never know when you are going to strike it rich," said Mario Romero.
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But police warned Thursday people should be very careful because they may never know when they are being scammed.
Anyone who suspects they’ve fallen victim to a lottery scam in the Riverside area should call police at 951-787-7911.
