Woman taken in con scheme Woman taken in con scheme (April 14, 2004)

A local 70 year-old woman lost $10,000 in a confidence scheme conducted by two other women, Menlo Park police reported.

Police say the scheme worked this way:

The woman was eating lunch March 5 at a restaurant on El Camino Real in Menlo Park when she was approached by a middle-aged woman who said she worked for Charles Schwab and that her company needed to give away $150,000 with a $10,000 investment from a customer in order to avoid tax penalties.

While they talked, a younger woman approached, expressed interest in the "investment opportunity," and offered to drive to her bank to get money to give to the first suspect.

The three women drove to a Menlo Park bank, where the two suspects entered the bank while the woman waited in the car. After everything seemed to go fine with this transaction, the woman agreed to hand over $10,000.

She was told by the first suspect that she would receive a payment of $150,000 on March 8, but she has not heard from either suspect since.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Ed Estrada or Officer Jeffrey Vasquez at the Menlo Park Police Department at 330-6300.

-- Jonas Raab

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