Kudos are in order for Hector Cantu and Carlos Castellanos, creators of the feature “Baldo,” who are using their feature to warn and expose a growing scam in the Latino communities. The scam is described as:
The so-called “Latin Lotto Scam” has been reported throughout the United States in communities with large Hispanic populations. Con artists typically approach elderly individuals with what appears to be a winning lottery ticket. The con artists claim they can’t collect their prize because of immigration issues and ask the victim to claim it for them. As a sign of “good faith,” the victim is asked for a security deposit. Of course, once the money has been taken from the victim, the con artists disappear – leaving behind a worthless lottery ticket.
The series runs for two weeks and started yesterday.
Baldo, in an 11-day storyline running March 13 to March 24, illustrates the problem. Baldo’s great aunt, Tia Carmen, is approached by con artists. “The key to preventing this is awareness,” says Baldo co-creator Hector Cantu. “It’s upsetting when you read news stories about tias and abuelitas losing their money because all they want to do is help someone out. It’s a very insidious scam.” Cantu and co-creator Carlos Castellanos hope the comic, which is published in both English and Spanish, can reach people with the message of “cuidate” (“watch out”).