YORK COUNTY, Pa.– Police are warning residents of a potential scam after a senior was scammed out of $8,000.
A scammer had called the victim claiming to be her grandson, who was away at college. The scammer, who knew her grandson’s name, said he was in a crash and caught with marijuana in his car.
Another scammer who posed as a police officer, told the victim to buy $2,000 worth of gift cards at Wal-Mart and provide the numbers on the back of the car, which can be used to electronically transfer the balance.
The victim complied with the requests.
Over a three day period, the scammers continued t contact the victim, and used aggressive tactics to distress her while convincing her to purchase additional gift cards saying that the funds were for an attorney, the judge, and jail fees.
In total, the victim was scammed out of $8,000 before she found out that her grandson had never been involved in the incident.
Police are warning that telephone and internet scams have increased in frequency and improved in effectiveness. Police suggest that if you have family or friends that are seniors, talk to them about these tricks and educate them before they fall prey to a scam.
Police also advise to let them know caller ID can be spoofed and appear as a legitimate agency, tell them to verify facts or call another family member if they receive a call with a dramatic story about a relative in peril and to never use gift cards as a form of payment.
