There have been reports of a new consumer scam in which con-artists are calling elderly people claiming to be a grandchild. The caller states that they need money to post a bail bond and ask the grandparent to send the money via Western Union. Read the whole story below.
NAPA — The Napa County District Attorney’s office is warning residents of a scam involving suspicious phone calls made by people posing as grandchildren in need.
These callers often call senior citizens, pretend to have been detained by law enforcement and ask for bail money, according to a release from the district attorney’s office.
The “distressed” callers posing as grandchildren tell the senior to wait by the phone for a second call from an attorney, a bail bondsman, or law enforcement officer for further details, it said. This person will instruct the senior to wire money to a specific place, usually, a Western Union station.
“Once the money is wired, it becomes untraceable,” the release said. “This is not how the bail process works in reality.”
These calls usually are made early in the morning or late at night.
If you get a call like this, the district attorney’s office suggests asking the caller to answer a question that only a real family member could answer.
Anyone who receives such a call should write down the number — if a caller ID is available — and report it to the local police department.
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Original Article:
Napa DA warns residents of grandparents scam
Times-Herald staff report