Oct 21, 2013 2 min read

JEFFERSON – A local business owner is spreading the word about a scheme for cash.

Chris Bailey, owner of Amelia’s Restaurant in Mather, said she was approached at her business Friday by a man in his late 20s or early 30s seeking financial help. She reported the incident to state police but wants to ensure the public, especially the elderly, are made aware of the scam.

Bailey said the man told her his mother was dying and only had a few hours left. He said he needed money to get home to see her. Bailey said this was not the first time she was aware of this scheme, but it was the first time she had personally been approached.

Several of her friends and customers told Bailey they have been asked for money by people making the same pitch. Both a male and a female approached them, but never at the same time. One waits in the vehicle while the other makes the request for money. In some instances, an offer to cut grass in exchange for the money has been made.

The scheme apparently has been taking place for at least two months, the first instance reported in Clarksville. Bailey said she knows of people in Mather, Jefferson and Waynesburg who have been targeted and said at least one person gave $10 to them.

“They drive a late model, black, Camaro with a Sunoco sticker on the front bumper,” Bailey said. “He is stocky, around 230 pounds, with black hair, and is about 5 feet 8 inches tall.”

Bailey said the woman, also in her late 20s to early 30s, is very thin with dark blonde to light brown hair. It is believed that the vehicle they are driving does not belong to them, Bailey said, and they are possibly living in the Nemacolin area, she added.