You say you’re browsing in a home electronics store and an “employee” of the store makes you an offer on a TV that seems too good to be true? It probably is. And the “employee” probably isn’t an employee at all.

North Riverside police in the past two weeks have made arrests in two separate incidents at Best Buy, 2358 Harlem Ave., involving phony employees and the promise of big-screen plasma TVs for deep discounts. Money exchanged hands in one of the two cases, according to police, but both attempts were eventually foiled by suspicious victims.

In the first case, North Riverside police were called to Best Buy on Aug. 22 just before 9 p.m., where two victims alleged that Chicago resident Robert A. Russell, 41, had stolen $1,300 from them.

One of the victims, a 23-year-old Cicero resident told police that a friend of his knew someone at Best Buy who could get a great deal on a plasma TV using a manager’s discount. The victim called a phone number his friend gave him, and said someone named “Michael Bennette” told him to bring $1,300 in an envelope, go to the TV department and look for a brown envelope with his name on it on a clipboard. The envelope, the purported employee said, would contain an invoice for the TV. The victim was told to leave the envelope containing the money on the clipboard.

The victim and his 21-year-old girlfriend arrived at Best Buy and found the brown envelope as promised. The victim then received a cell phone call and was told by Bennette to leave the money, take the brown envelope to the appliances department and ask for an employee named Manny.

When the victim put the money on the clipboard, his girlfriend reportedly saw Russell exit the bathroom, stop by the TV stand and look at the envelope containing the money. Suspicious, the girlfriend grabbed the money and exited the store with the victim.

Once outside, the victim received a call from Bennette, asking if he was still interested in the deal. The caller told the victim to have his girlfriend bring his car to the front entrance while the victim went back inside to leave the money by the TV. The victim left the money and took the brown envelope.

Once outside, the victim opened the brown envelope, finding sales ads inside. His girlfriend then asked a store manager if a Michael Bennette worked there. The manager told her there was no such employee.

Meanwhile, the victim ran inside and told police he saw Russell walk by the envelope containing the money. Once he walked past, the envelope was gone. The victim then followed Russell out the store demanding his money back. Russell reportedly told him the only money he had on his person was his own.

When police arrived, they found Russell getting into his vehicle. They detained Russell, a convicted felon, reportedly finding $1,577 on him. Police also reportedly recovered from his vehicle a blue steel .45-caliber handgun loaded with 10 hollow point rounds.

Russell was charged with felony theft, felony theft by deception, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and two counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

Cut-rate deal

Seven days later, on Aug. 29 just before 9 p.m., police were called back to Best Buy to break up a scuffle. They later found that Best Buy employees were struggling with a man suspected of being involved in another TV scam. Police were alerted to another man who had sped off in a silver Pontiac moments earlier. They detained him in the 2300 block of Harlem Avenue shortly thereafter.

The driver of the Pontiac was identified as Bennie Washington, 60, of Chicago. The man detained by store employees was Omar Muhammad, 25, of Country Club Hills.

According to the report, Washington posed as a Best Buy employee and attempted to get a 41-year-old Cicero man to buy a TV at a discount from him. Washington, the victim stated, said he could sell the victim a $4,500 high-definition plasma TV for $800, because Best Buy had sold the TV to Washington through an employee incentive program.

The victim told Washington he only had $400 but could charge the TV on a credit card. Washington reportedly responded that he couldn’t take the credit card, because he didn’t want his boss to know he was selling the TV and dropped the asking price to $600. The victim then called his 41-year-old sister, telling her to bring $200 for the TV.

Washington then reportedly told the victim to give him the money and to pull up to the front entrance to load the TV. After becoming suspicious, the victim and his sister demanded a receipt before making payment. Soon after, the victim’s sister asked another employee if Washington worked at Best Buy. The employee answered no, and the sister promptly told him about the TV scam.

Washington fled the store, followed by employees who tried to detain him in the parking lot. Muhammad, who was waiting in the silver Pontiac, heard Washington’s shouts and sped up to him, reportedly knocking into one of the employees.

Muhammad joined the fray, but Washington broke free, jumped in the car and fled the scene just before police arrived.

Washington was charged with attempted theft by deception, battery and driving on a suspended license. Muhammad was charged with reckless driving and battery.