Tarrant County woman cons people with sob story

Police across Tarrant County are looking for a woman who is conning people by taking advantage of their kindness.

"She knocked on the door and told my secretary she didn't have any money that someone had stolen her purse she was trying to get back to her kids,” said Amy Chapman, Flips for Fun gym owner.

Surveillance cameras outside captured the woman, whose sob story also included that her mom just died and that her purse was stolen at the funeral home. The secretary said the woman also showed her letterhead from Baylor Hospital in Grapevine, a police report and officer's business card.

The victim later learned all of the documents were fakes.

"They prayed, they hugged and my secretary decided to get some money for her," Chapman said.

Fort Worth police said the victim drove a nearby Bank of America, took $200 out to give to the suspect and then went back to the gym.

"The lady hugged her and said thank you so much and when Cortney closed the door the lady opened up her car and grabbed a wallet and her cards and took off," Chapman said.

The suspect drove off in what victims describe as a maroon Ford with tinted windows and within 15 minutes racked up $334 dollars in charges, including gas at a 7-Eleven and gift cards at a nearby Walgreens.

Lindsay French said the con artist shopped the same story to her at a Watauga Albertsons in August.

French give her $100 & thought she did a good deed until she heard about what happened at Flips for Fun.

French posted about her encounter online and as many as 50 other people say they fell for the same scam too. Victims say with fake tears the woman can play on anyone's emotions-- even the most skeptical.

"Man she's better than most actresses on TV,” French said.

Fort Worth police describe the suspect as a black female that weighs about 250 pounds and about 40 years old.

FOX 4 is on YouTube -- http://bit.ly/fox4subscribe