by KYW’s Karin Phillips

A popular newspaper cartoon is being used to warn readers about a growing scam that targets Latino seniors.

"Baldo," the first nationally-syndicated comic strip featuring a Latino family, appears in many local papers. In its current storyline, which ends March 24^th, Baldo's great aunt Tia Carmen is approached by con artists.

Louisa Grillo-Chope, from the National Council of La Raza, says the story is realistic:

“Older Latino seniors are being approached in supermarkets, malls.  And the person who approaches them speaks to them in Spanish and says that they have the winning lottery ticket but they cannot claim the prize because they don't have the papers to be in this country, and will they help them.”

That help always involves some good faith money put up by the victim, who never sees the fake ticket holder or their money again.