Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Counterfeiters ran welfare scam

200G scam hit welfare
By TIM PERONE, NY Post

Eleven Queens residents scammed the city out of almost $200,000 in welfare benefits -- while running a million-dollar counterfeit designer handbag ring, cops said.

The fraudsters had been collecting assistance for at least two years while driving Lexuses and BMWs and living in homes in Bayside and Flushing that are priced around a million dollars, authorities said.

When members of the NYPD's Organized Crime Investigation Division raided six residences yesterday they also discovered over 13,000 bogus Louis Vuitton, Burberry and other high end handbags that the suspects were planning to hawk on Canal Street in Chinatown, Lt. Enrique Santos said.

Authorities believe they could have been sold for $1 million to gullible bargain hunters.

The scams were apparently family affairs -- many of the suspects are related, cops said.

9 comments:

FlooshingRezident said...

Do you know where the houses are? I'm curious as I see sooooo much suspicious activity near Bowne Park.

Anonymous said...

any investigator worht a damn could have figured this out a long time ago

totally happening all over nyc

our tax dollars hard at work

Anonymous said...

Most of these bargain hunters are not so gullible--they assume you are and will be fooled by this stuff. They are also popular gifts for parents whose children demand designer goods without the jobs to pay for them.

Personally, I would rather teach children how to tell well-made from poorly made goods instead of subsidizing con artists and thieves.

Anonymous said...

I could care less about bogas handbags status is over rated anyway. My question is are they going to have to pay back the money they stole? Nothing about that in the article. Going to jail and paying fines aren't enough. They should have to pay back the system with a substantial penality.

Auntie Invasion said...

tell me that they are Chinese illegal immigrants who got the red carpet when they went to the welfare office, unlike your average American citizen who gets a run around and a lot of heart ache.

tell me that in the mix is a helpful Chinese immigrant translator working at HRA.

Babs said...

What KIND of suspicious activity near Bowne Park?

Babs said...

Please DO care about counterfeit merchandise - profits are going to organized crime and terrorism.

I couldn't care less about Gucci etc. -

cherokeesista said...

Bowne Street between Cherry ave and 45th ave has alot of suspicious activity also, but the 109th refuses to listen to our pleas!!! We are over run with PROSTITUTION and illegal boarding houses but nothing will be done:( Maybe if we offer a BIGGER BRIBE THEN THEY WILL LISTEN!!! DISGUSTING!!!

Anonymous said...

damn i should of got a bag or two.. welcome to america!