Bunko Lady
Over the past few years I've probably done about ten composites of bunko suspects. Usually they are males working in pairs; one will "find" a package full of money and show it to the victim at which point the second suspect will show up just in time to join in the "find" Quite often this happens just outside a bank where the victim is about to transact some business; might as well catch them there so you don't have to go with them to their bank. Anyway for some reason it just begins to make sense that we all put up some "earnest" money to prove whatever it is we're trying to prove The victim then goes into the bank and checks out his share, say $5,000, returns and is given the package of found money while suspect number two holds the earnest money. Didn't anyone think to suggest that we just split up the found money and then go to our own banks and deposit it. Of course if you don't see this coming already, just go stand in front of your bank until it happens to you. The Suspects leave separately with one holding the earnest money and the victim goes to his car with the found money, but of course curiosity gets the better of him and he opens the package to find newspaper cut to money size. Surprise! Surprise!
This is called the "Pigeon Drop" and has several variations. In the case of composite 015,the victim was an eighty-five year old female who met with Mr. Warner and the suspect; Mr. Warner was going to take $5,000.00 of the victim's money, invest it and triple it within one month.... guaranteed. The female suspect went with the victim to the bank and was there to be sure the money was checked out in cash, not check, and to keep the victim focused.
City Police Dept. wanted to do Composites but didn't have much faith in the ability of an elderly woman who would give two strangers $5,000.00 in cash. So Mr. Baxter goes without description, but the bank teller was able to work her way through the FBI Facial Feature Catalog and provide us with a likeness to the Bunko Lady.