Pigeon fraud trick investigated by Nanjing police

Fraudsters in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, have started using scratch cards strapped to pigeon’s legs in a new type of scam, reports the Yangtse Evening News.

The pigeon that delivered the fraudulent scratch card, strapped to its leg. [Photo provided by police]

The police say they have been alerted to a number of cases involving fake prize vouchers.

There’s a long history in China of pigeons being used as trusty couriers, as in many western countries.

One woman, surnamed Qian, found a pigeon in the street with a voucher strapped to its leg on Wednesday morning. She scratched the card to reveal a message saying she’d won a prize of 280,000 yuan (about 41,600 US dollars). 

However, in order to get her winnings, she was instructed to send the organizers 50,000 yuan.

Qian took both the pigeon and scratch card to the police, who confirmed that all the information given on the card was a con.

“Young people these days are more suspicious. Qian didn’t send any money, but chose to call the police instead. But, older people consider pigeons as loyal, so they could be more easily cheated,” said one police officer. 

Fraudsters use both modern and traditional means to deceive. If people are uncertain whether an offer is fraudulent or not, they should ask the police for help, he added.