North Avenue Scam Alert: Broadview Woman Loses $2,000

A Broadview woman who believed she'd be helping a church instead became the victim of a ruse when two men scammed her out of $2,000, authorities said.

The theft took place around 3:25 p.m. on Sept. 14, when the 68-year-old woman was approached by a man in the 6000 block of North Avenue who said he was looking to donate $50,000 to a church but he didn't know where the chapel was located and had to leave the country in a hurry.

That's when the second man walked up and offered to help.

The first man asked the victim and the second man if they'd donate to the church on his behalf, and that he'd pay each of them $5,000 for the effort.

But first, the pair said the woman would need to withdraw from her personal bank account — an act of "good faith" for which she'd receive her $5,000 cut in return.

The pair then drove her to a U.S. Bank branch at 6011 W. North Ave. in Oak Park, where the victim withdrew some cash and gave it to the first man, the one in a hurry to leave the country, who then handed her a red bandanna containing what she thought was $50,000.

When she got home, she found the bandanna instead contained a wad of newspaper, Oak Park Police Cmdr. LaDon Reynolds said. She then reported the crime to the bank manager, who then called the police.

The first man is believed to be in his 50s. He's described as a black male with a dark complexion and dark hair, about 5 foot 9 and roughly 160 pounds. He was last seen wearing a white hat, white dress shirt and black pants. The other man was described as a black male with gray hair, about 6-feet tall and roughly 170 pounds. He was last seen wearing a brown jacket, brown shirt and green khaki pants.