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 No Tune in a Bucket
Posts: 2935
   
Location: Texas | I just found out that my mother received a phone call this MORNING from someone claiming to be my oldest son. When she said he sounded funny, he said that he had the flu. He kept repeating over and over that she could not call anyone. He said that he and some friends and stopped and had a few drinks (he does not drink) and he was driving and hit someone. He needed $9000 fast because the guy was going back to Pennsylvania. Or it was going to cost him $50,000. Public defender said it would be ok if he paid the $9000, but she could not call anyone. Oh, and they had taken his phone. She went to the police station and asked if he was there. Of course he wasn't. Did she tell them the whole story? No. She told the caller she only get probably $1000. About 5:30, she went with us to my grandson's basketball game. Not a word about anything. I get a call from my son about 11:00 and he is freaking out. My mother had called him to see if he was alright. He was first shocked that she called him that late and thought she was talking kind of loopy. He thought maybe she had fallen and was dazed or something. Then she started telling him the whole story. He told her he was fine and that he was going to call me. I was freaked when he called me this late and then he started telling me her story. Got off the phone with him and called her back. She was really rattled. Tomorrow we are going to the local police station to at least make a report. My son was so worried that she had gone to the bank to try to get money and they could have knocked her in the head.
What is wrong with people, preying on old people?
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
| That is really crappy. All the TIME and EFFORT that people devote to devising these SCHEMES that they could put into doing something PRODUCTIVE!!! Not to mention that I have a soft spot for seniors and that kind of stuff REALLY ticks me off. I hope you catch them and I hope they end up going to jail and getting pushed around by some REAL criminals! How sad...your poor mother!!! |
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  Witty Enough
Posts: 2954
Location: CTX | Wow, b^$terds....
I can't stand creeps like that, especially when they pray on the elderly.
Hugs for you, your mom and your son. And I hope they get caught fast!! Before they find another victim! |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | That is so sad!!! I too have a soft spot for the elderly.
What people are doing is so wrong....just breaks my heart. |
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Regular
Posts: 62
| A woman I work with had this happen to her mother. In that incident it was a grandson in Australia. He really is a photographer in Austalia so it seemed real and of course being so far away the difference in the voice was explained by the distance. This lady was ready to go to the bank and send as much money as she could but her daughter stopped her. She called some national agency and they said this is a scam that they have been trying to gather enough information on to catch them. It's sad but also very scary. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Scum who are a true waste of space on this earth. |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9991
Location: Kansas | What a jerk! I hope they catch the guy who did that to your mother.
These scams are becoming more and more frequent |
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No Tune in a Bucket
Posts: 2935
Location: Texas | Yes, this is a crappy thing to do to anyone much less an elderly person. My son goes by a nickname and the caller used that name. How they found her with a different last name, I don't know. With all of the public information out there, these creeps know how to use it. I told her that she just has to be careful. She lives 200 yards from me so we don't worry too much about her personal safety but I am concerned that she did not tell me until much much later. After talking with her, I don't think that will happen again. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1432
Location: Never in one place long | That is terrible! I always worry about my Grandmparents... they sometimes get scammer calls too. :( thank goodness she didn't fall for it. :( I REALLY hope they catch the guy that did this!! What kind of people do this!!!!!!!!!????????? |
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I Really Love Jeans
Posts: 3173
Location: North Dakota | Are you sure she wasn't dreaming this up. Keep and eye on her and if she acts even slighlty off take her to make sure she didn't have a stroke. My Grandmother suffered from dementia and actually was convinced that my sister was going to kill her. She got it in her head that my sister was mad at her and wanted to kill her. My sister had to be careful because when she would drop off food for them my Grandmother would be ok one visit and would get a kitchen knife the next!!!!!!! It is more realistic that she dreamed it up because who would have her number and know your son. Have her call you if anyone stops by or calls again. File a police report incase it is true and have them patrol the area a little more. At that age dreams and reality get mixed up unfortunately! |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | This is so sad, there is just so much scum out there. I wonder if its someone that y'all might know thats doing this to her, since they know your brother's nick name and who he is. Seems like they know to much information. Give her a hug for me.. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1898
| RocketPilot - 2014-01-30 11:32 PM
 I just found out that my mother received a phone call this MORNING from someone claiming to be my oldest son. When she said he sounded funny, he said that he had the flu. He kept repeating over and over that she could not call anyone. He said that he and some friends and stopped and had a few drinks (he does not drink) and he was driving and hit someone. He needed $9000 fast because the guy was going back to Pennsylvania. Or it was going to cost him $50,000. Public defender said it would be ok if he paid the $9000, but she could not call anyone. Oh, and they had taken his phone. She went to the police station and asked if he was there. Of course he wasn't. Did she tell them the whole story? No. She told the caller she only get probably $1000. About 5:30, she went with us to my grandson's basketball game. Not a word about anything. I get a call from my son about 11:00 and he is freaking out. My mother had called him to see if he was alright. He was first shocked that she called him that late and thought she was talking kind of loopy. He thought maybe she had fallen and was dazed or something. Then she started telling him the whole story. He told her he was fine and that he was going to call me. I was freaked when he called me this late and then he started telling me her story. Got off the phone with him and called her back. She was really rattled. Tomorrow we are going to the local police station to at least make a report. My son was so worried that she had gone to the bank to try to get money and they could have knocked her in the head.Â
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What is wrong with people, preying on old people?
SERIOUSLY?! This happened to my husband grandfather back in September! We live in California and my husbands grandfather lived in North Carolina.
Some guy called him crying and said that he was my husband. He told his grandfather that he was in Haiti retrieving the body of a fallen friend who was a US Marine that was KIA in some BS Town over there. He said that he had been detained by Haitian police because his friends had some marjuana in the truck they were driving and he couldn't make bail, and this was his only call. He told his Grandfather that he (Grandfather) could not call his (husband's) dad. He told my husband's Grandpa that he needed $4,000 bail or he would be in a Haiti's prison until the judge could see him. My husband's grandfather WIRED the money to them immediately. The guy called the next day and said they upped his bail and now he needed $4,000 more! My hisband's grandfather told him he he didn't have it and the guy on the other end started crying and carrying on. He told him that he would have to call his dad this time.
Here's the scary thing, they knew my husband's name and the state and town he lives in and his dad and grandfather's name.
I still can't understand why his grandfather would have wired the money. Doesn't the US military bring home the fallen?
We live in California and my husbands grandfather lived in North Carolina. I can understand why he wouldn't know what my husband sounds like. They didn't talk much due to a family falling out between my husband's dad and his grandfather. When my husband called his grandfather to ask what the heck had happened he said that the guy on the other end was very upset and he thought it was my husband. He said he thought sending the money would help make things right with my husband's father before he died. |
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No Tune in a Bucket
Posts: 2935
Location: Texas | After talking with my mother this morning, the scammer did not give her my son's name. He told her it was her oldest grandson and she said he name. I almost feel better now. She was so upset and now realizes how bad this could have gone. Mom is pretty sharp but has a soft spot for her grandkids and always wants to help them.
Edited by RocketPilot 2014-01-31 12:19 PM
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Expert
Posts: 1898
| RocketPilot - 2014-01-31 10:55 AM
After talking with my mother this morning, the scammer did not give her my son's name. He told her it was her oldest grandson and she said he name. I almost feel better now. She was so upset and now realizes bad this could have gone. Mom is pretty sharp but has a soft spot for her grandkids and always wants to help them.
Thank goodness your mom didn't send the money. I don't understand why people have to scam the elderly. Did your mom have caller ID or report it to the police? |
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 Water Weight Barbie
Posts: 6829
Location: Oz, Kansas | Usually they will have the person send the money by Western Union they wouldn't be brave enough to meet in person. I've heard about this several times that people actually hack the other persons cell phone & can monitor text messages, voice mails and phone conversations so they can pick up on names & such. A co-workers mother was called & they pretended to be her granddaughter but when she asked the girl on the other end of the phone what her sisters name was they hung up. It is still very scary. My mom works at Wal-Mart & had an older lady come in wanting to send a large amount of money via western union to a foreign country & my mom called her daughter & they were able to finally convince her that her family was safe. |
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No Tune in a Bucket
Posts: 2935
Location: Texas | cyount2009 - 2014-01-31 11:07 AM RocketPilot - 2014-01-31 10:55 AM After talking with my mother this morning, the scammer did not give her my son's name. He told her it was her oldest grandson and she said he name. I almost feel better now. She was so upset and now realizes bad this could have gone. Mom is pretty sharp but has a soft spot for her grandkids and always wants to help them. Thank goodness your mom didn't send the money. I don't understand why people have to scam the elderly. Did your mom have caller ID or report it to the police?
Edited by RocketPilot 2014-01-31 12:29 PM
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 602
| Sorry to hear that about your mother. Im glad you guys caught on to the situation before she sent out the money. Someone tried to scam me this morning! I had a California # call my cell phone. I answered it and there was a gal telling me that she can lower my credit card interest rate because I was making my payments on time. I responded,"O really? Thats interesting because I dont have a F**** credit card." She froze and hung up. I tried to call the # back and it has a busy signal. I wish I could have punched that lady through the phone. |
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| angelica - 2014-01-31 10:07 AM
Are you sure she wasn't dreaming this up. Keep and eye on her and if she acts even slighlty off take her to make sure she didn't have a stroke. My Grandmother suffered from dementia and actually was convinced that my sister was going to kill her. She got it in her head that my sister was mad at her and wanted to kill her. My sister had to be careful because when she would drop off food for them my Grandmother would be ok one visit and would get a kitchen knife the next!!!!!!! It is more realistic that she dreamed it up because who would have her number and know your son. Have her call you if anyone stops by or calls again. File a police report incase it is true and have them patrol the area a little more. At that age dreams and reality get mixed up unfortunately!
Actually this scam has been floating around there for awhile. |
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 Chasin my Dream
Posts: 13651
Location: Alberta | Unfortunately not the first time I've heard about this scam...so glad things didn't escalate to her sending money somewhere! |
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Regular
Posts: 62
| From what I understand, the government even calls it the "grandparent scam". The woman I work with told me she printed a bunch of info off the internet and still has it. It sounds like it is pretty common unfortunately. |
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