The so-called “grandparent scam” is making its rounds in the region, and one victim is now explaining exactly how it works, hoping to prevent others from getting swindled.
“They are really, really, really good at what they do,” said the Lanham, Maryland, resident, who asked not to be identified.
In a video posted online by Prince George’s County, Maryland police, the woman explained how she got a tearful phone call from a person claiming to be her grandson, who said he had been in an accident and that she needed to call a supposed lawyer at a specific number.
She said the phony lawyer then told her that her grandson was jailed as a result of the accident and needed $12,500 for bail money. She said she withdrew money and gave it to a person who came to pick it up. She later called her grandson and found out he was fine.
“They keep manipulating you, and the only thing you have to say to a grandmother [is] ‘Something is happening to my grandson,’” she said.
“You get so wrapped up in trying to protect your family that you lose sight of the intelligence God gave you.”
The police have released a photo of the suspect in three of these recent scam cases.
