Scammers steal victim's necklace after offering them jewelry 'blessing'
Stock photo (Sabrianna on Unsplash)
CLAWSON, Mich. (FOX 2) - A scammer who told a victim they wanted to give them a "blessing" was actually stealing their necklace, Clawson police said.
Police posted an alert about the scam that happened last month, noting that it's a variation of jewelry scams happening around the country.
According to police, the victim was working in their yard when they were approached by someone in a vehicle who said they wanted to bless them with jewelry. The person put several pieces of jewelry on the victim and then left.
Later, the victim discovered their necklace was gone and the jewelry put on them was fake.
Police said these scams typically involve a suspect swapping fake jewelry for a victim's jewelry before the victim notices. Rarely, jewelry may be stolen by force.
There are several variations of fake jewelry scams to beware of.
According to police, the suspects often appear as a family and may have children in the car. Sometimes, they tell a sad story or claim they are from out of town, or another country and need money for gas, food, or other necessities. They may say that they are wealthy but cannot access their money because of a theft or some other emergency. They may offer to sell the victim jewelry, claiming that it is very valuable in exchange for cash.
Police also warned people to keep their distance when helping strangers with directions to avoid having their jewelry stolen.