Richard Hyatt: Woman reveals scam out to get her money

She could have been a victim, but my friend danced around the scam. Now she hopes her story will help others survive.

Joan is a feisty lady who passed the age of 80 several years ago, and the person on the phone seemed to know she was home alone and that she was a grandmother who would be willing to help her grandson.

"You should recognize me," he said. "I'm your oldest grandson."

With every comment, he was reeling her in.

"He had all the answers," Joan said. "He said he was in trouble in the Dominican Republic and that he was in jail. He said he and a friend had been chasing girls and that the police stopped them and found drugs in the trunk of their car."

"And please don't tell Mom and Dad," he said.

Then, appealing to her vanity, her alleged grandson added, "You're the only one who can help me but it is going to take money."

Of course it would take money.

Those kinds of calls always require cash and to make it more official he put on the phone someone he identified as an official with the American Embassy.

"He has to pay a bond to get on the docket," the person said.

"If you don't pay the money it could be six months before his case would be heard."

Six months in a foreign jail? How could any loving grandmother let that happen?

And by chance, the embassy official knew just what to do.

He was 1,390 miles away in a foreign country, but he suggested she withdraw money from her bank and take $1,640 to a CVS Pharmacy on Macon Road.

Joan wanted to help but off the phone she started to think.

How did these people know so much? It sounded viable at first because she knew one of her grandsons had recently gone out of the country. But how did they know the other things?

She called a friend who is a lawyer, and he urged her not to send money. She listened, because by then "the steam was out of me."

When she finally reached her grandson and found out he was safe at home, she was embarrassed at being so naïve.

"It upsets me that I didn't see through this right away but I didn't. I was just so worried," she said.

Days later she heard about another local woman who received a similar call.

She did send money to get a grandchild out of trouble.

Joan is relieved that she wasn't completely duped, but in all honesty she added this troubling confession that is at the root of a scam that appeals to senior citizens.

"Given the same conditions and circumstances I would do it again."

-- Richard Hyatt is an independent correspondent. Reach him at hyatt31906@knology.net.

This story was originally published October 28, 2014 at 6:08 PM with the headline "Richard Hyatt: Woman reveals scam out to get her money."