A Lafayette pawn shop owner is warning people to be wary of a scam involving jewelry.
It's fake gold that looks and feels convincing. The scammers are trying to cash-in on generosity in the air this time of year.
The owner at Acadiana Gold Exchange says customers have been coming in with pieces of fake gold jewelry claiming it had been sold to them by families who said they needed help.
"I've seen the stuff come in for years now but just the last couple of months it's gotten really out of control."
Acadiana Gold Exchange owner Jason Broome says some of his customers are out hundreds of dollars after buying what they thought was real gold from people on the street.
"They are speaking to people who are saying that they are down on their luck, they need a ride, they are with their families and they have small children with them and they are pleading to people's sympathies,” Broome added.
Although every customer has come into Broome's store with this fake jewelry, he says the material is convincing.
"These chains are typically marked 14k, usually very shiny and they don't look all that real. The rings have a nice kind of grain to the pattern of the metal and they look like gold. As far as fake gold goes, the rings are a good fake,” explained Broome.
With Christmas just around the corner, Broome urges those with the spirit of giving to be cautious.
"If you want to help people out, that's great, but I would say do a little due diligence before you start giving your money away to strangers, especially in large quantities,” said Broome.
Lafayette Police Department says no complaints regarding the scam have been reported at this time.
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