Scam Led By Dad And Son Targets Western New Yorkers

A post was shared hundreds of times around Western New York, warning about a scam that has already targeted dozens.

The scam is credited to one dad and son, but it turns out that many parent-child duos have latched onto this idea to see how many people they can trick in their community. 

A Kenmore resident shared some photos of the father and son that approached him with a description of what their “hustle” is. 

“He walks Hertel and Elmwood with his kids saying he is selling candy for a school fundraiser. They literally just walked out of Walgreens to buy candy there and sell it for double the price. The dad takes the money,” the resident posted on Reddit. 

If you see this guy and his kids selling candy for “school” don’t buy. It’s a scam.
by u/Electricsocketlicker in Buffalo

One thing to look for when identifying a scam vs. reality is the price of the candy bars. Are they outrageously priced? Do they have an official form from the school?

Another person joined the thread on Reddit and shared their experience with two young girls who attempted to run a similar scam. 

“We got approached by two young girls with candy INSIDE Lloyd,” the post said. “Gutsy to send them right into the restaurant.”

There was a third person who told a related story about a kid selling pies. The one thing they noticed, though, is the pie pricing was rather expensive, alarming them to a scam. 

“This happened last year to me at Canalside near Liberty Hound. Except it was a 14/15ish girl selling pies instead of candy bars.” 

The pies, typically able to be purchased for as low as $.50 at WalMart, were marked up to $5 from the girls. That is a clear indication of a scam.