Grandparent scammers completed a successful pre-Christmas sweep through central Iowa, stealing tens of thousands of dollars from at least at least two elderly couples. The Story County Sheriff’s Office in Nevada, Iowa, reported a couple there lost $16,000 on Dec. 17. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office in Knoxville, Iowa, reported a couple there lost $20,000 the same day.
In both cases, the crooks used the same method to deceive their victims. The victims received highly emotional, but very brief, phone calls from imposters posing as their grandchildren needing bond money to get out of jail after an automobile accident.
That very short and alarming phone call was followed up with a call from someone posing as an attorney representing the grandchild, who pressed the victims to come up with bond. The attorney planned to send a courier to the victims’ homes to pick up the cash. And within a pretty-short time span, that’s what happened.
The use of couriers to actually make face-to-face contact with grandparent scam victims is a fairly recent tactic, but not unknown in Clinton County. The same scenario played out here, and in neighboring Jones County in August 2020.
Law enforcement theorizes the criminals behind this courier scheme work in a small geographical area for a couple of days, covering an area the courier can reach in a couple of hours by car, after a victim agrees to get cash ready for a pick-up. After a couple of days of lying and stealing, they move on to another region. There’s every chance their new hunting grounds are close by, so it’s a great time to review this scam.
To work, this scam relies on an emotional and unexpected phone call from someone posing as a grandchild, in jail, who needs a lot of cash for bond, and needs it immediately. The appeal is urgent and it must be kept secret. Frequently, the grandchild imposter speaks only briefly, and the phone call is handed off to someone else, who poses as some authority, like an attorney, public defender or police officer. That authority gets into the details of how to post this bond. If the hapless victim falls for the scheme, I can guarantee the scammers will make further calls within hours, demanding more money for unforeseen complications.
How should you react if you receive such a phone call which can scare the daylights out of you? Your best defense is to slow down and resist the demand to act right now. Take time to think about it. Ask for help. Talk to someone you trust. If you talk to one other person who is not emotionally involved, you will get sound advice, telling you this is a scam. Anytime an unexpected call scares you, or you feel you are losing control of a situation, ask for help.
If you do get taken in by the grandparent scam, contact law enforcement immediately. These couriers take a major risk of getting identified when they make house calls. Prompt reporting greatly increases the opportunity for law enforcement to catch the thieves.
Contact seniors vs. Crime
Let me know about scams, fraud, or other crookedness you run across. Most of what I learn, I learn from you. Contact me at Seniors vs. Crime, Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, (563) 242-9211, Ext. 4433, or email me at randymeier@gapa911.us.
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