One day, a grandmother who would like to remain anonymous got a call for her grandson, Kyle.
"He said, 'Grandma this is your oldest grandson, Kyle…' Of course, I listened," she told WCAV. The man said he was in a car accident and in jail. He told her he needed $2,700 wired to him via Western Union.
Frightened for her grandson, she got the money and headed straight for the money wiring service. Fortunately, the cashier immediately knew something was up. As soon she saw the amount of money, she got the manager to take a closer look at the situation.
"She says, 'Please don't send that money. This is a scam," the grandmother recalls. The man wasn't her grandson, but a con artist. A local police officer happened to overhear their conversation and notified investigators.
Lt. David Wells sees this kind of scam all the time. People like to prey on the kindness of older folks and scam them out of their hard-earned money.
Wells says that if you ever receive a call like this, no matter how urgent, take some time to assess the situation. Call family and friends to see if you can track down the family member.
Wells believes that nine out of 10 times this kind of thing is a scam. If you're suspicious call the police for help.
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