Hey, Lamorinda, STOP Wiring Money To Con Men!

Please, please, please guys... stop sending your hard-earned money to cons and grifters doing business from Internet cafes in Costa Rica, Canada, and Nigeria.

and as much as local police have counseled citizens never to wire money abroad, well-meaning people continue to do so and the bad guys continue to benefit.

Moraga police were approached by a resident March 8 after the citizen reported receiving information in the mail naming him the winner of a $425,000 sweepstakes. That's called "The Hook." In order to claim the money, he was told, he had to first wire $1,025 cash to an address in Costa Rica. That's called "The Grift." Don't do it.

But he did. And the "Sweepstakes Organizers" in Costa Rica appreciated the donation, so much so in fact that they wanted more before they could begin to "process" the sweepstakes money.

At this point the resident smelled the rat in the sugar cane and asked that his money be returned. He was informed that "supervisor approval" was needed before that could happen. But it appears the supervisor is on a very long lunch break and the money, it seems, is currently lining the pocket of a happy con man in San José.

Moraga police have attempted to intercede on the resident's behalf but to no avail. Please, people, spread the word about this con and others like them and never, ever wire money abroad without first confirming the identity of the person requesting those funds.