When they got the phone call that their grandson was in jail, they got worried – but then they got smart.
A source, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Courier that her husband got a call at home recently. On the other end of the line was a man who said that their 25-year-old grandson was in jail in Canada, and that they needed to send $2,007 for bail. According to “Sergeant Brown,” “John” (not his real name), who is actually in medical school, had robbed a Taco Bell because he was hungry.
Another man then got on the line and said, “Grandpa,” thereby continuing the ruse.
When the grandfather said he could not wire the money through Western Union – the alleged scammers demanded in cash – they hung up.
The first thing the man did was to call his wife, who “got very upset” and immediately left a business meeting. When she got home – visibly shaken – her granddaughter, John’s sister, said that she had texted her brother – and that he was in class.
“I recognized it was a scam,” said the woman, who immediately called the office of the district attorney to report what had happened.
A state trooper arrived at their home and set up a machine to record phone calls. So far no one has called back.
“They [scammers] can randomly target people, or have some information [on their victims],” said Helen Peterson, a spokesperson for District Attorney Richard A. Brown. “It’s an old scam; it’s been around for a while. We have seen it, but there hasn’t been a recent upswing.”
Peterson explained that, if you receive a phone call, immediately look for “red flags.”
For example, in this case, she said, “You wouldn’t be required to wire money, it’s not how bail works.”
She also pointed out that one way to safeguard yourself is to verify information.
“Texting him was very smart,” said Peterson. “You have to be skeptical, verifying information is the most important thing.”
“A lot of people can fall for it,” said the would-be victim. “Old people who live alone could be victims. For me, it was a very troubling experience. It took me a couple of hours to get my senses back because I was so shaken.”
If you receive a questionable phone call, Peterson suggests you complain to your local precinct or call the DA’s office at 718-286-6315.
