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PORT CHESTER, N.Y. A 75-year-old Port Chester man lost $3,000 in a lottery fraud when he lent money to a Greenwich couple who were scammed into believing they won a million dollar lottery in Europe, police said.
On Monday, the man reported that an older couple he knew told him they won more than $1 million from a winning lottery ticket from Europe. The wife called him in April telling him of the supposed win and asking for the $3,000 loan to pay the lottery company, which he gave them.
Several months elapsed and the man grew suspicious. The woman came to police headquarters and told officers her husband received an email in regards to the lottery win from Zenith Bank in Nigeria. She told police she believed it because she received an email from the FBI confirming she had sent the money by way of money-gram. The couple did receive a Zenith Bank MasterCard, but every time they tried to use it, the card was denied.
She realized she had been victimized, said Lt. James Ladeairous, a spokesman for the department. She told us she was giving the money right back to the guy who lent them money.
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