As federal authorities warn people of fraudulent schemes to part them from their donations to Hurricane Katrina victims, local authorities warn residents to be alert to other scams as well.

Simi Valley police continue to investigate a lottery scheme that claimed $10,000 from a 69-yearold woman recently.

This type of scam generally targets the elderly, perhaps because they have more money available, said police Sgt. John Adamczyk, noting that a similar scam occurred last year.

The scam worked this way: While she was shopping, a Hispanic woman was approached by a man asking for directions to an immigration office. Police say the business was fictitious. Another man subsequently joined the conversation, saying he knew of the business. The two Hispanic men persuaded the woman to drive them there. While en route, the first man admitted he wanted to falsify U.S. citizenship papers so he could cash in on a winning $300,000 lottery ticket. But to do so, he told the woman he first had to put up $25,000 to collect, police said.

The woman agreed to contribute money for a portion of the lottery winnings. She drove the men to her bank, made a $10,000 withdrawal, and drove to their bank. She waited an hour before realizing they had disappeared with the money, police said.

The men are described as being of average build and between 40 and 50 years of age. Police are asking anyone with information on the case or who may have been a target of this scheme to call them at (805) 583-6950.

Joan Virginia Allen is coordinator of the Financial Abuse Specialist Team in Ventura County, which works with law enforcement and legal agencies to resolve cases of financial abuse. She said although anyone can be the victim of this scam, older people tend to be targeted because they’re more trusting, having been raised in an era when a handshake said it all.

Moreover, Allen said, the perpetrators in this case may have played on the victim’s desire to help a fellow countryman while making money on an investment.

Allen cautioned the elderly and anyone else: “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”