The Linda Brown Prank

Linda Brown, 44, was arrested after an hours-long shopping spree that began after she hired a stretch Hummer limousine to drop her off at a Burlington Coat Factory store in Colombus, Ohio, police Lieutenant Michael Deakins said.

She walked to a cash register and loudly announced she had won $US1.5 million in the lottery and would pay for each person's merchandise up to $US500, he said.

"Well, of course, people like to hear that," Deakins said. "Apparently they were in line calling relatives who were not at the store and told them to come."

People flooded the registers as cashiers began ringing up purchase after purchase, but Brown had not yet paid the bill.

At least 500 people filled the aisles and another 1000 were outside trying to get in, Deakins said.

"She was telling people she won $1.5 million," Deakins said. "But it ends up she didn't win anything. She had no money to pay for anything."

Her story though convinced the shoppers.

"I said, 'Are you sure?' said Carol Hubbard, who was inside the store. "I said, 'I can't pay you for this,' and she said, 'Honey, I've got $1.5 million and I have been used all of my life and mostly by my family members and this is just my turn to give back.'"

The offer was extended to every shopper at the store and not just for clothes.

"I said, 'I don't need the clothes,'" said Candace Jordan, a shopper. "I just need assistance with my rent and she said, 'How much is it?' and she promptly wrote out a cheque."

About an hour later, Brown had the limousine driver take her to a bank to withdraw money, but she returned empty-handed.

By then, store employees had called in two dozen police officers to handle the crowds.

It was when Brown had driven to the bank that the store became aware that she had no money.

That's when angry customers, realising they weren't getting free coats, began throwing merchandise on the floor and grabbing clothes without paying for them, police detective Steven Nace said.

"Everybody was like, 'I still want my free stuff,' and that started the riot," he said. "It looks like (Hurricane) Katrina went through the store."

Police said they have no way of tracking down the customers who stole items and fled, but they're reviewing surveillance video.

Brown was arrested on three outstanding warrants for aggravated menacing, misuse of a 911 system and causing false alarms.

She was jailed, but no charges had been filed against her related to the coat store chaos pending a mental health evaluation.