Legal Definitions - pigeon drop

A pigeon drop is a type of confidence trick or fraud where a scammer (or a team of scammers) manipulates a victim into entrusting them with money, often under the pretense of sharing a large sum of "found" money, a lottery win, or an inheritance. The scammers convince the victim to provide their own money as a sign of "good faith," for "safekeeping," or to cover supposed fees, only to then abscond with the victim's funds. The victim in such a scheme is often referred to as the "pigeon."

Here are some examples of how a pigeon drop scheme might unfold:

• The "Found Money" Scenario: An elderly woman is approached by two strangers. One stranger pretends to "find" a wallet or briefcase overflowing with cash. The second stranger, an accomplice, suggests they should all share the money. However, they claim that to prove their trustworthiness and ensure no one runs off with the entire sum, each person must contribute a significant amount of their own money as a "good faith" deposit. The elderly woman is persuaded to withdraw a large sum from her bank account. She hands her money over to the scammers, who then vanish with both her cash and the "found" money (which was either fake or never intended to be shared).

  This illustrates a pigeon drop because the scammers used the illusion of a large windfall (the found money) to trick the victim into handing over her own money, which they then stole.

• The "Lottery Winnings" Scam: A person receives an email congratulating them on winning a substantial foreign lottery, despite never having entered one. The email instructs them to contact a "claims agent" to process their winnings. The "agent" (a scammer) explains that to release the multi-million dollar prize, the winner must first pay various "taxes" and "processing fees" upfront. The scammer might even send fake documents or involve an accomplice posing as a bank official to add legitimacy. The victim, believing they are about to receive a fortune, pays several thousand dollars in fees, only for the "winnings" to never materialize and the "agent" to disappear.

  This is a pigeon drop because the victim was lured by the promise of a large sum (lottery winnings) and then convinced to pay their own money under false pretenses, which the scammers then stole.

• The "Inheritance" Fraud: An individual receives a letter or email from someone claiming to be a lawyer representing a distant, unknown relative who has recently passed away, leaving a substantial inheritance. The "lawyer" explains that to transfer the inheritance, the beneficiary must first pay a series of "legal fees," "estate taxes," or "administrative costs." They might even suggest that a portion of the inheritance will cover these costs, but the initial payment must come from the beneficiary's own funds. The victim pays the requested amounts, sometimes over several installments, but the inheritance never arrives, and the "lawyer" ceases all communication.

  This exemplifies a pigeon drop as the victim was enticed by the prospect of a large inheritance and then defrauded into paying their own money for non-existent fees, which the scammer pocketed.