A scam artist using a fake New York City address is trying to steal money from Lawrence High School alumni.

At least one alumnus fell victim to the scam and lost the $106 he sent to a nonexistent organization thinking he was ordering an alumni directory.

The problem is the scam was launched about the same time that a legitimate effort was under way to take orders for a real LHS directory.

Earlier this month, an Emporia man drove to Lawrence High School to inquire about the legitimacy of a mailing he received in September to order an alumni publication. The notice claimed it was from the Directory Publication Office for Lawrence High School, Post Office Box 29920, New York, NY 10087-9920. There was also a phone number, (914) 946-7500. The man placed an order.

The alumnus made a report to Lawrence police about the matter and was told by police that it was a scam, school district spokeswoman Julie Boyle said.

The man also sent a letter to the Journal-World describing what had happened to him. He said he was a 1947 graduate of Liberty Memorial High School, which later became Lawrence High School.

The scam paralleled a legitimate project earlier this year by the Lawrence High School Alumni Association to take orders for a directory, with printable and CD versions, according to Martin Owens, a member of the association’s board of directors.

“I instigated it. We hadn’t produced a directory in nine years,” Owens said.

In August, there were three mailings to alumni about the directory and then follow-up phone calls, said Owens, of Lee’s Summit, Mo. The publisher is Harris Graduate Connection, a firm that has done two previous directories for LHS, Owens said.

The directories should be delivered in March or February, Owens said.