Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Beware The Pigeon Drop Scam: Con Artists Swindle $13,000 From Different Marks
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 20, 2014
Modified Mar 20, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 20, 2014
Modified Mar 20, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
If a stranger approaches you in the street and tells you he/she found a lot of money and wants to share it with you—but first you have to hand over some of your money—it's definitely a con. One of the oldest in the book. It's called pigeon drop, and after all these years it still works: two woman in their 60s were recently duped out of $13,000 when they fell for it.
According to the NYPD, two incidents occurred in the 61st Precinct, which covers Sheepshead Bay, Gravesend, Kings Highway, Homecrest, Madison, Manhattan Beach, and Gerritsen Beach. In both, the two female suspects approached another woman, claiming "to have found a wallet claiming containing a large sum of money but could not spend it since it could be traced." From the NYPD:
They offered the victim a portion of the money if she provided them with "clean" money. In each incident the victims agreed and drove with the suspects to a Citi Bank, located at Kings Highway and East 15 Street, where the victim entered the bank alone and withdrew money. The victim re-entered the car and headed to Avenue L and Ocean Avenue, a location that the suspects claimed to be their lawyer's office, where the victim could pick up her portion of the found money. As the victim exited the vehicle, the suspects fled with the victim's money.
The first time it happened was on January 17, 2014, with a 63-year-old woman who was at East 12th and Avenue R around 12:15 p.m. The victim withdrew $4,000.
The second incident was on March 12, 2014, at around 2 p.m., with a 65-year-old woman who was at Ocean Avenue and Avenue R. She took out $9,000.
One of the suspects is described as a woman in her 40s and the suspects' car was described as a silver Chrysler 200 four-door sedan. The police distributed images of a suspect and the car.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS. The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or texting their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
Incidentally, there was a pigeon drop scam in the same precinct back in 2012—some poor sap handed over $66,000!
Tagged
brooklyn
crime
grand larceny
pigeon drop
pigeon drop scam
original
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Mamdani names re-entry specialist as chair of Rikers oversight board
Christopher Watler will help the department that a federal monitor says remains in crisis.
By
Ryan Kost
Published Oct 6, 2026 at 3:52 p.m. ET
NYC weighs expanding upstate reservoir following drought
The Delaware River Basin Commission is evaluating options to increase water storage, including expanding a reservoir in New York City.
By
Rosemary Misdary
News
NYC weighs expanding upstate reservoir following drought
The Delaware River Basin Commission is evaluating options to increase water storage, including expanding a reservoir in New York City.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Legionella found in Staten Island building's water system after 2 positive cases
By
Catalina Gonella
Legal 'loophole' helps NY Gov. Kathy Hochul, Bruce Blakeman raise millions
By
Jon Campbell
Police identify 2 men wanted for stabbing an off-duty NYPD officer
By
Ben Feuerherd
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .