Elm Grove police looking for suspect in dry cleaning reimbursement scam

A man tried to get two Elm Grove businesses to pay his dry cleaning costs in a scheme that netted $50 last week, according to the Elm Grove Police Department.

An employee of Walgreens, 15350 Bluemound Road, contacted police just before 4 p.m. Dec. 19 to report that the store may have fallen victim to a confidence game.

According to a police report:

An unidentified man claimed someone spilled soda on his jacket during a previous visit to the store, and a manager said the store would reimburse him for cleaning costs.

He presented a dry cleaning receipt for $50 and was reimbursed. The manager he had named wasn't on duty.

Employees became suspicious when an employee of Ace Hardware, 15360 Watertown Plank Road, called to warn them that a man had attempted a similar scheme there.

In that version of the scheme, he claimed paint had been spilled on his coat. He refused to fill out paperwork required for the reimbursement and left without any cash.

Police are reviewing security footage to gather more information on the man.