Fayetteville Police say man for 'pigeon drop' scam

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. - Fayetteville Police said Thomas Richardson is the most vicious kind of con man, one who preys on the elderly. Fayetteville police have been after him for years.

“Long time, we have cases dating back to 2006. And the even the description back in 2006 matches him to a 'T.' He’s a very large man. He usually wore nice clothes. He carried a cane and wore a top hat. All of that fits this guy perfectly,” Mike Whitlow with the Fayetteville Police Department said.

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Police said Richardson’s scam was the old 'pigeon drop'. The scam has the con man persuade the victim to put up the money which would supposedly secure the rights to a larger sum of money, but there is nothing of greater value, instead the scammer makes off with the victim’s cash.

An elderly victim told FOX 5 News in 2009 that she lost $16,000. She said it was her entire lifesavings.

“Forty years of working, whatever I could set aside from my paycheck. It's just heart breaking,” Richardson said.

“The streets are a lot safer. This is a guy we’ve been looking for for a long time,” Whitlow said. “I do anticipate taking more charges.”