Stillwater police warning residents of “pigeon drop” scam

STILLWATER, Okla. – The Stillwater Police Department is warning residents of a scam after receiving several complaints.

According to Stillwater police, they have received three complaints of an attempted “pigeon drop” scam.

Police say in each case, “an African American female approached a citizen and showed them a zippered pouch or envelope. The female claims to have found the item and requests the citizen to be a witness while she opens it. When the female opens the pouch or envelope it is filled with money. The female then requests help attempting to find the owner of the money.”

In each case, the citizen became suspicious of the woman and left.

“There are numerous versions of a pigeon drop scam but most entail the suspect eventually convincing the victim the found cash can be theirs in exchange for a smaller amount of money up front,” said Stillwater police on Facebook. “The suspect then defrauds the victim of their ‘down payment.’ Luckily, none of the three reported persons fell for the scam.”

Officials say anyone who is approached by a person attempting this type of scam should call law enforcement immediately.