Michelle Williams

Attention, celebrities appearing on New York talk shows!  Beware of the latest scam!

After your vehicle pulls in and you get out, you're accosted by a distraught woman.  "Oh my God!" she wails.  "Your SUV just ran over my paper cup!"  She indicates a mangled paper cup on the pavement near your vehicle's tire as a few "random bystanders" nod in agreement.

Because you're a good person, you want to make things right.  You offer to reimburse her for the paper cup.  This calms her down.  She claims the paper cup's replacement cost is $8.  This seems high, but if you object, she starts to crank up the hysteria again.  Anxious to end the unpleasantness, you hand over the $8 and hurry inside.

Of course, your SUV didn't run over the cup; she planted it there the instant you parked.  And $8 is far too much to pay for a new paper cup.  Savvy New Yorkers can usually get them for under $4.  But by the time you realize all this, the scam artist and her confederates have gleefully pocketed their $2 each and are on to their next easy mark.

If you believe you have been a victim of the Paper Cup Scam, contact the Manhattan District Attorney's office.