March 28, 2011
Priscilla Ress
Public Information Office

SCAMMERS STEAL MORE THAN $10,000 FROM VOLUSIA COUNTY GRANDMOTHERS

The scam starts with an imposter-grandson’s desperate call for help from overseas to the woman who couldn’t say no: Grandma. And in a matter of weeks scammers had tricked two senior citizens Volusia County women out of more than $10,000. 

The latest case for Volusia County Sheriff’s investigators happened near DeLand on Friday when an 83-year old grandmother got a plea for money from a someone who sounded like her grandson calling from the England. He said he was in terrible trouble and needed money fast. She sent $2,500 by Western Union to London. There was a second call for more money. She sent a total of $7,400. The phone calls from the scammer probably came from the United States, according to Sheriff’s investigators. However Western Union only tracks the money to the first location where the money is sent, making it difficult, but not impossible to track the money’s final destination.

 “I think I’ve been scammed”

Those were the anguished words of an 80-year-old grandmother on March 11 who called the Sheriff’s Office to report the crime. A scam artist called her, pretending to be her grandson. The scam artist took the time to find out the woman’s grandson’s name. Finding personal information on anyone is easy to do in this computer age and it gives the scammer’s story that critical ring of truth.

He told “his grandma” he caused a bad accident with a Spanish diplomat. If he didn’t get $3,200 to pay for the damage in a hurry he was going to jail. She was his only hope.

She rushed to the bank, withdrew $3,200 and wired the money to an account in her grandson’s name in Spain.

The next day when she got a call begging for another $2,700 she realized she’d fallen for a scam and called the Sheriffs Office.

Sheriff Ben Johnson is concerned about the rise of the “imposter” scam in Volusia County which has the potential of wiping out senior’s savings.

He advises:

• Never wire money to strangers or people you’ve never met in person.

• Never wire money to someone who claims to be a relative or friend in desperate need of help—often in a foreign hospital, jail or victim of a robbery.

• Verify any emergency before sending anyone a dime even if they beg you to keep it a secret. When possible call the relative or another family member.

Sheriff’s investigators are working on both cases, and want to hear from anyone else who believes they, or a family member, have been a victim of this type of scam.