From the web around 2017
The Yonko clan suffered another arrest. This time it was Paul, again. Altogether, various members of this huge Romany family have been arrested 255 times since 2001. Mostly for theft and fraud, but also for drugs and DWIs.
This time Paul is accused of running one of those scams where somebody drives up and tells you your wheel is about to fall off, and they get you to pull over, do some dubious repairs, and then talk you out of hundreds or thousands of dollars. Women traveling alone and old people are their usual targets, as was the case this time, and it seems to be most common on streets like Westheimer, Richmond, Briar Forest, and other main roads on the Westside.
I'd been hearing this "wobbly wheel" scam was afoot again in recent weeks -- be careful of it yourselves and warn your elderly loved ones.
This was one was a doozy. They convinced a 75-year-old man that his wheel was faulty, even though he pretty much knew it wasn't, but one of them rocked the car back and forth to trick him into thinking it was. They said they wouldn't charge for labor, only parts, and the befuddled old man agreed. That will be $400 cash, sir. Let's go to the ATM. The old guy told police he knew he was being taken, but after all, the had "fixed" his tire, and he felt obligated, or something. These operators can really cast a spell.
Anyway, they get to the ATM and he pulses out $400, and gets distracted for a split second just as the C-notes are sliding out. When he looks down to pick them up, they are gone.
"Sir, your money went back into the machine," a Yonko tells him. "You need to do it again." The old guy hemmed and hawed so Yonko grabbed his hand and started guiding it toward the keypad. By then he was in fear for his safety, so he took out another $400 and handed it over.
"Oh yeah, we forgot," Yonko said. "We need another $200 for extra parts."
Again, he forked it over. It was dark, he was outnumbered, and they had turned menacing.
So, there he was out $1000 for no good reason at all.
Again, if your wheel is about to fall off, you will know it. It has happened to me before, and I knew it. You won't need some stranger to tell you so.
And make sure the old folks you love know that too.
