WCBO – The Springdale Police Department is looking for two men who allegedly schemed a man out of $3,000. The incident began at the Lowe’s parking lot in Springdale on June 8, 2011. That’s where police say the 69-year-old victim was approached by a male black in his 40′s (suspect #1) wearing black dress clothes and spoke with an African accent. Investigators say the suspect asked the victim for directions to a nearby community and eventually for a ride. The victim agreed and at some point the man pulled out a large wad of cash, claiming his brother just died, he was from South Africa and he had won a large settlement but didn’t know how to keep it safe. The two ended up at a hotel in Sharonville, according to police. While at the hotel, another man, a male black in his 50′s (suspect # 2) wearing dress clothes, a tie and walking with a cane approached the two, acting like he didn’t know the other suspect. The three began to talk and suspect #1 took out the wad of money again. That’s when suspect #2 told him he should put the money in the bank. The victim agreed, according to police. However, suspect #1 said he didn’t trust banks in America. Eventually, all three ended up driving in the victim’s minivan to the PNC Bank on East Kemper in Springdale. Police say the suspects strategically had the victim park on the opposite side of the bank. Suspect #1 continued to say how he didn’t trust banks and how he thought the United States military would go after anyone withdrawing a large amount of money and needed the victim to show him this wasn’t true. Suspect #2 told the men that this was his bank and no such thing would happen. Police say he pretended to go inside the bank and came back out with bank envelopes and $10,000 in cash. However, investigators believe he never went inside, actually met up with another suspect and received the envelopes and money on the other side of the bank. Suspect #2 then let the other suspect and the victim drive around the block holding the cash as a sign of “trust”. The suspects then convinced the victim to go into the bank and withdraw $3,000. He came out and let the suspects hold the money and walk around the block to show “trust”. Investigators say the suspects, who even used several props, never returned. Police continue to search for the suspects and are asking anyone with information about this crime to call Crime Stoppers at (513)352-3040.
I’ve read this story 28 times and I still have no fucking clue what happened. I honestly have no clue. The following is my best attempt to sum this up;
Fake African #1 had 3k in cash that he told some random dude on the street/victim that he was afraid to deposit in banks because he doesn’t trust banks. Somewhere along the line they meet Fake African #2 who says banks are great and very trustworthy and to prove it they all drive to his bank and he takes out 10K in cash and parades around the bank screaming “I told you banks were trustworthy!” I told you banks were trustworthy!”. He then gives the 10k he just withdrew to Fake African #1 and the victim and tells them to take a victory lap around the bank in honor of the greatness of banks which they do. After that Fake African #2 tells the victim he should withdraw 3K from the bank and give it to them to do a victory lap around the bank again and to make Fake African #1 feel comfortable putting his money there. So the victim goes into the bank. Takes out 3k. Hands it to Fake African #1 and #2 and then they just drive away leaving the victim with a thumb up his ass doing the Macarena by himself in honor of banks. I think that’s pretty much what happened right? It’s like one of those real life Nigerian Ponzi email schemes. In hindsight I don’t know what I’m more impressed by. The fact that somebody thought of this or that it worked. Either way I think if you’re the victim here you just got to tip your cap and move on. You got beat fair and square.
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