TROY -- It's called the "Three-card Monte," "Three-card Shuffle," "Find the Lady," or "Follow the Bee."
Police call it a scam game and it surfaced at the Oakland Mall last week.
Luckily, the intended victims should get their money back after one of them called police who confronted the scam artist dealing the cards.
Police said the victims, a Southfield woman, 19, and a Detroit man, 20, were lured into the card game operated by a 35-year-old Houston man.
The victims, police said, were directed to a location inside the mall while shopping. A woman had approached the victims to check out "card tricks" a dealer was showing another man.
Troy Lt. Gerry Scherlinck said Three-card Monte is a sleight-of-hand card con game. The dealer, he said, lays three cards down showing a target or money card which often is a queen. Find the money card and win an amount equal to what is bet.
The dealer often lets the target win some hands to increase the ante. Then the dealer wins by using sleight of hand and misdirection while shuffling the three cards to prevent the victim from finding the queen. Others involved often are shills in an effort to take money from a mark, or target.
The female victim tried her luck and won $50 on her first try, police said. She lost the next two games for $600.
The dealer asked the male victim if he wanted to try his luck, police said. The victim withdrew $500 from an ATM and lost it to the dealer, police added.
The dealer told the losers he would return the money if they followed him outside. The 19-year-old victim called police as they walked. Officers arrived and the male accomplice fled. The dealer admitted to officers he was a "con man" and turned over the $1,100 to police. Mall security advised the dealer, who was identified, questioned and released, he would be prosecuted for trespassing if he returned. The victims also were warned about gambling laws and released, police said.
Scherlinck said the money will be returned to the victims.
Police call it a scam game and it surfaced at the Oakland Mall last week.
Luckily, the intended victims should get their money back after one of them called police who confronted the scam artist dealing the cards.
Police said the victims, a Southfield woman, 19, and a Detroit man, 20, were lured into the card game operated by a 35-year-old Houston man.
The victims, police said, were directed to a location inside the mall while shopping. A woman had approached the victims to check out "card tricks" a dealer was showing another man.
Troy Lt. Gerry Scherlinck said Three-card Monte is a sleight-of-hand card con game. The dealer, he said, lays three cards down showing a target or money card which often is a queen. Find the money card and win an amount equal to what is bet.
The dealer often lets the target win some hands to increase the ante. Then the dealer wins by using sleight of hand and misdirection while shuffling the three cards to prevent the victim from finding the queen. Others involved often are shills in an effort to take money from a mark, or target.
The female victim tried her luck and won $50 on her first try, police said. She lost the next two games for $600.
The dealer asked the male victim if he wanted to try his luck, police said. The victim withdrew $500 from an ATM and lost it to the dealer, police added.
The dealer told the losers he would return the money if they followed him outside. The 19-year-old victim called police as they walked. Officers arrived and the male accomplice fled. The dealer admitted to officers he was a "con man" and turned over the $1,100 to police. Mall security advised the dealer, who was identified, questioned and released, he would be prosecuted for trespassing if he returned. The victims also were warned about gambling laws and released, police said.
Scherlinck said the money will be returned to the victims.
