Cops: Pennsylvania Woman Scammed Out Of $26K With Phony Lottery 'Win'
CARBONDALE, Pa. (AP) -- Police say a Pennsylvania woman has conned an elderly friend out of $26,000 by claiming to have won the New York lottery.
Carbondale police say 24-year-old Ashley Sobel initially told the woman she had won $5,000 and needed a loan until the winning arrived in the mail. Sobel allegedly told the victim that she needed the money for medicine for her children, and eventually claimed to have cancer herself.
Police say this all began in September and continued through December, by which time Sobel was claiming to have won $25,000 and continued asking to borrow money.
Police say she even produced a winning ticket to back up her claims—but they determined it was from 2008 and had already been cashed.
Online court records don't list an attorney for Sobel, who was awaiting arraignment Thursday.
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