Con man
arrested
PHILIPSBURG--The suspected parking lot con man reportedly was arrested Saturday after at least three scam attempts at the parking lot of the Bush Road shopping plaza late last week.
According to unconfirmed reports, police held the “neatly-dressed” con man over the weekend for trying to scam drivers out of their money by pretending to know them to get close. The suspect had successfully escaped with at least one victim’s envelope full of money and the police were on the lookout for two men on Friday, explaining that they were not convinced that all the crimes had been perpetrated by the same person.
Targets were all recent customers of the Windward Islands Bank ATM or loan office and were sitting in their cars in the parking lot shared by WIB, Le Grande Marché and other stores and restaurants.
One woman victim reported to police Thursday that she had been scammed after the suspect convinced her that he was a guard at her workplace and asked for a ride. The man approached her parked car and before long was seated in the passenger seat, after letting himself into the vehicle.
Police said the man had snatched an envelope with money while receiving the ride from the victim. “During the time … he took the opportunity to steal the envelope with the money the victim had withdrawn from the bank,” the police said. Another target was almost conned in the same manner later that morning.
Police did not confirm the arrest Sunday.
