Two suspected scam artists “flim-flammed” their way into Philadelphia police custody after they allegedly tried to use a cash deception to steal a Northeast man’s bank withdrawal.
It happened on Oct. 13 at about 2:15 p.m. on the 7300 block of Bustleton Ave. The victim, 44, had just exited the Wells Fargo branch, where he had made a $2,000 cash withdrawal, and was entering his van when two men approached him.
One of the suspects was wearing a green suit and had a large wad of what appeared to be cash. He identified himself as a church pastor and asked the victim if he wanted to donate to his church. The second suspect, who was standing nearby, then yelled toward the victim, “Can you help, sir?” The first suspect then offered the victim $100 to give him a ride somewhere.
Sensing trouble, the victim refused and drove away. From the opposite side of the parking lot, he saw the same two suspicious men approach another bank patron in a similar way. He called police.
Officers arrived at the scene, spoke to the victim, spotted the suspects and arrested them. The men allegedly had several wads of fake money and paper that had been wrapped in legitimate currency.
According to Lt. Dennis Rosenbaum of Northeast Detectives, the same men are under investigation for similar activities in the area. Typically, scam artists use wads of fake cash as part of a scheme known as a flim-flam. Basically, the crooks promise a large amount of cash to a victim in exchange for a smaller amount of cash. The crook’s money is fake.
Court records did not reflect formal charges against the two suspects as of yesterday, so their identities have not been released officially. One man is 58 and from the city’s Brewerytown section. The other is 49 and from Atlantic City.
Call Lt. Rosenbaum at 215–686–3153 to report any similar incidents. ••
