Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Elderly Resident Targeted In Recent Scam
An elderly Leoma resident reported to authorities late last week that she had been scammed out of thousands of dollars while attempting to provide assistance to her grandson.
The victim, age 84, reported the matter through the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department on Friday. She told deputies that she had been contacted by a man who claimed to be a lawyer from Delaware.
He told her that her grandson had been arrested on a DUI charge and needed bail money. He instructed her to go to Walmart and send $2,000 via Money Gram, saying that he would have a woman pick it up.
After the transaction was made, the victim said she was contacted by the man four more times requesting that she send additional money in order to, “Keep it off his record.” Altogether, she told deputies she spent $10,900.
After the last transaction was made, the victim said she spoke with her daughter. The daughter informed her that her grandson had not been in Delaware and advised her to report the scam.
The victim was able to provide authorities with names of the pair involved. The matter has been turned over for further investigation through the department’s Criminal Investigation Division.
