HIGHLANDS COUNTY, Fla. – Two residents fell victim to the grandparent scam on Tuesday, according to Highland County Sheriff.
Deputies say a man called claiming to be a lawyer and saying the victim’s grandson was in jail. Another person claiming to be a bondsman told them to go withdraw thousands of dollars in cash to bond their grandson out of jail. Both victims got the cash, which was then picked up by a third person.
“It was only after the cash was gone that the victims called family members and learned the grandson was not in jail,” said Highlands County Sheriff’s Office.
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“Remember: If you get a call like this, always check with family members first to determine if your relative is even in the place where the callers are claiming the jail is (in these cases, one was Boca Raton and the other was in Utah). If you can’t get in touch with family members, ask the callers what jail your relative is supposedly in, look up the number yourself, and call the detention facility yourself to check. Don’t get the number from the caller; they will just direct you to another one of their friends,” said HCSO.
A good rule of thumb is to treat any unsolicited call, email, or letter you get that is about money as a scam until you do your own research and prove otherwise.
Scammers can be very sophisticated and will also try to pressure you to get the money immediately. Don’t fall for their tactics.
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