BOSTON -- Can't get tickets to the Patriots game this weekend? Thinking instead of finally investing in that big screen TV?

NewsCenter 5's consumer reporter Susan Wornick reported that there is a lot of competition among retailers, so with anything else, folks shop around to get the best deal. But, run the other way if someone says cash only.

There is a well-known scam that police call a flim-flam. It's been around for years and it's back, most recently at the Burlington Mall.

Here's how the scam works:

You get a phone call at work from someone posing as a relative or friend of your UPS or FedEx driver. He said he has some overstocked items that a client couldn't sell and he can offer it for much less than retail. All you have to do is meet him at a specified place, cash in hand, and he'll deliver the goods.

The caller claims to have a variety of high-priced electronics -- everything from TVs to video equipment and more. He tells you they are from a major retailer. But it's all a scam.

The takes your money, gives you a receipt and sends you to the loading dock for pickup. But when you get there, you discover that your receipt is phony and the scam artist is long gone with your cash.

Burlington police told Wornick that this has happened repeatedly at a variety of stores. While they've made some arrests, it's an ongoing problem and especially now with so many people motivated to watch the Patriots on a big screen TV Saturday. Don't get ripped off.

Never give a stranger cash up front, no matter how good the deal sounds. That's not how legitimate business is done.