Stafford Seniors Avoid Phone Scam, So Far

Stafford, Va. The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office reports a phone scam in the area aimed at swindling senior citizens. Since November, four senior citizens have received a call from an individual claiming to be their grandchild. In each separate incident the caller, pretending to be a grandson or granddaughter, told the senior citizen that they were in trouble in a foreign country and needed money to bail them out of jail.

In this scam the senior citizen receives a call where the caller identifies himself/herself as a grandchild in trouble with law enforcement in a foreign country and needs cash sent immediately to be used as bail money. Preying on the senior citizens uncertainty of which grandchild is calling, the caller is able to get the grandchild’s name and then pretend to be that person. Asking the grandparent to not call “Mom and Dad” because they want to tell them the bad news themselves, the caller then convinces the citizen to send the money by money order to an address they provide. This phone scam is being seen in other parts of the country as well.

In each incident in Stafford, the senior citizen receiving the bogus call has refused the request for money and contacted the Sheriff’s Office. This is not the first time that Stafford County citizens have reported this scam. It was first reported in Stafford County in July and September of 2009.

The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office recommends that if citizens receive a call such as this to not send any money until they verify with other family members the authenticity of the call and the caller. Families can also develop a code word that easily identifies a family member should there be any question as to the identity of a family member who is calling. Anyone who receives this type of call may also call the Sheriff’s Office at 540- 658-4450.

-Unedited press release