Oscraps

Latest Scary Scam

BrightEyes

BrightEyes

Kay
CHEERY O
Yesterday I was waiting for a call from a landscaper so answered the phone when a local number rang.
To my horror I hear a woman's voice crying and saying I'm sorry...I didn't mean it.. (My daughter had left the house about an hour before.) I called her name and said I couldn't understand all she was saying. Then a man's voice came on saying he was a police office and she had been in a 2 car accident. She had hit the other car broadside on the driver's door. That lady was 6 months pregnant as was in ICU in critical condition. He went on to say the first lady was in jail but a legal aid attorney was going to be calling me with instructions on how to arrange getting bail for her. He gave me the attorney's name and the case number she was being held under. Told me that her purse, cell phone and checks were being held so she did not have access to them and needed me to arrange her bail. Then told me to stay by my phone waiting for the attorney to call. He put her back on the phone and she was crying... then the call ended

Within a minute the attorney called... telling me details - that she would be held in jail .... etc.... The bond was $150,000 but only needed $15,000 (10%) to get her released. It had to be in cash... I should go to the bank and draw it out - then go to my car in the bank parking lot and call him and he would tell me where to send it.

RED FLAGS WAVING!!!

At that point, I called my daughter's cell phone - and hear her calm voice saying "Hi, Mom... what's up??"

So be aware that this type of scam is to scare you and not give you time to think calmly....

I reported it to the local police and also the state's Justice Department.
 
Oh that is just sooo wrong!!! What ba$3ards they are!! I am so glad you rang your daughter Kay and yes, the cash part would certainly be a What the Heck??!!! moment! Sadly it's become something that happens all over the world and you certainly do need your wits about you! Good on you Kay!! xx

I recently spoke to a friend of mine on the mainland and a similar thing happened to her mother. The scammer, posing as a policeman, told her that her 18year old granddaughter had been involved in an accident and as she had been drinking she had been arrested. The 'said' policeman said that the granddaughter didn't want to worry her parents and asked if she (the grandmother) could please pay the bond money to get her out, $2500. She was told she would be given a bank account # for her to deposit the money into. But before the scammer gave her the number my friend's mother felt it can become all too much for her and she told the scammer that she would need his phone number so that her son (a policeman) could ring him back to get the details etc. LOL! The next minute there was silence on the phone!! She rang her granddaughter who answered and said she was okay, no accident and she doesn't drink either. lol! So then grandma did ring her son who indeed was a policemen to report it! LOL!

So yes, the trick is to not panic, take some deep breaths and before you do anything, ask for a contact number and tell the scammer that you will ring them back (or just hang up!) ............. and then verify everything first with your family or friend.
 
Oh Kay, I am sorry that happened to you and I am SO glad you didn't fall for it and were smart and called your daughter!! :heartpumpred::heartpumpred::heartpumpred: I have heard of this scam before...it's sad to now know someone who has had it happen to them!!! Scammers....GRRRRRRRRRRRR :voodoodoll::killer::banghead::desk3:
 
Wow- these are awful scams. The lengths they go to for scams is unbelievable. Our police department posts on facebook about new scams.
 
That is tricky for sure. Good for you for realizing it was a scam. If anything similar to that happened to me I would never give out money. If anything, I would go to the police station to verify. Scammers are getting smarter and smarter, its scary.
 
Oh my goodness, Kay!! Thank Heavens you had the presence of mind to call your daughter. SO scary. I've always said that if these scammers worked for "good" instead of "evil" the world would be a much better place.
 
This infuriates me. I am so relieved that you knew better and talked to your DD before you did anything. It breaks my heart and enrages me at the same time. There is a special place in hell for people who do this, especially when they prey on older generations .
Hugs to you and I hope that you are feeling steadier today.
 
Oh gosh, Kay, that's awful. So glad your daughter is okay, and that you realized it was a scam. I keep my phone set so that all calls that come from unfamiliar numbers are silent, I don't hear them come in. I normally get five or six a day. I've gotten three this past week from Russia! I don't know anyone in Russia, and they didn't leave voicemails, so I'm not sure what that's all about.
 
When my kids were young, I was afraid that somebody would try to kidnap one of them. We had a code word and if anybody ever tried to pick them up and said "Your Mom's been hurt and asked me to come and get you" (or anything else), they had to know that word. Fortunately, we never had to use it.

I'm thinking it's not a bad idea for all families to do something similar in today's environment.
 
Yep, Kay. We all must be very diligent-with AI invading our lives, it is going to be harder and harder to tell what is real and what isn't. Now movies of horrid t hings can be created with a person's photograph! I nearly stopped digital scrapping because of this- wouldn't want my GK's to be used in that way.
Any time you are asked for money you should be wary. You can always say I will call back i an hour... and find out what's what. Glad it all turned out as you say!!
 
Sadly, they love to target seniors. There are way too many stories around here of seniors being scammed. Sometimes out of $100,000 or more.
 
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