Az I See It....
On Wednesday, I received a voicemail(7am), from my mother-in-law, Adelaide, who was obviously fraught with angst(that's a GREAT phrase, isn't it?), wanting me to return her call - it was 'urgent....extremely important.' Responding within minutes(I'm very fast - ask my wife!), she informed me that she had just received a call from the Quebec, Canada police, informing her that my son and his buddy had been arrested, after being stopped while driving through Canada, and having drugs found in the vehicle. The officer assured her that the drugs were not my son's, but that they were both taken into custody, pending further action, and that he would need to post bail to be released.
Then, my 'son' was put on the phone, and he said, 'Hi, Grandma, it's Michael. Please don't tell my parents. I don't want them to know I'm in trouble, so please just follow the officer's directions, and send the bail money." The officer then gave her the address to wire/send payment, and a follow-up phone number, with his name - Officer Brower - to proceed with the transaction, and in case she had any further questions. Naturally upset and feeling helpless, she then called her son, and explained what had happened. He told her 'it didn't sound quite right,' and that she should call me. Thank God she did! I assured her that my son was nowhere near Canada, that I was elated that she had the sensibility to be able to ask for help, as secrecy(and later embarrassment) is of utmost importance for this scam to be successful - and that she should call the Attorney General's Office immediately - and then we both shared a comforting laugh!
This scam preys on the frailty, angst, and instinctive, protective love of senior citizens! The location of the arrest is typically Canada or Mexico, and those most likely to be scammed are typically living quite a distance from the 'arrested,' so that the possiblities presented may be plausible. It is not typical for the caller to know the grandchild's name(although that information is easily accessible through on-line social websites, ie., Facebook, MySpace, Classmates.com, etc.), so they usually begin with an ambiguous salutation, ie., "Hello, Grandma, it's me." Concerned and almost wanting to recognize the voice, the typical response may be, "Is that you, Michael?" Then they have the hook! Let's face it - the hearing of the elderly(especially in the morning, and via a cell phone connection) may not be as sharp as it may need to be. It sounds like it IS your grandchild! The amount of bail is typically $4000 to $5000, but may be reduced to $3000 or less after 'haggling.' The phone number given may be an untraceable cell phone, and the only Sergeant you should be contacting is at your local police precinct!
I forgot to tell Adelaide that they would call again, if not receiving a timely response, so when I realized my omission, I called her. She said that she had already received their second call(only 15 minutes later!), which began with, "You're such a sweet lady...." And she quickly responded, "Yeah, and I'm a smart lady, too!" They then immediately hung up. And she did contact the New York State Attorney General's Office, who said that they were aware of this scam, and 'we are working on it.' They were not interested in the phone number given, or where the call may have originated from, or the traumatic experience that had occurred - SHAME ON THEM! If this happened in Arizona, Terry Goddard's Office would hunt them down - or at least TRY!
Anyway, please make sure that family members are protected from this scam(and others), by relating this event, and by offering your assistance in any matter necessary - and to recognize any offer with even a suggestion of 'secrecy' to be a 'red flag!' And if you live in Arizona, you can log-on to www.azag.gov for scam alerts and updates, or to report scams. If you don't live in Arizona(it's 70 degrees on January 6th!), contact your state's Attorney General's Office, and inquire as to their consumer protection services. And, Michael, call your grandma!
Then, my 'son' was put on the phone, and he said, 'Hi, Grandma, it's Michael. Please don't tell my parents. I don't want them to know I'm in trouble, so please just follow the officer's directions, and send the bail money." The officer then gave her the address to wire/send payment, and a follow-up phone number, with his name - Officer Brower - to proceed with the transaction, and in case she had any further questions. Naturally upset and feeling helpless, she then called her son, and explained what had happened. He told her 'it didn't sound quite right,' and that she should call me. Thank God she did! I assured her that my son was nowhere near Canada, that I was elated that she had the sensibility to be able to ask for help, as secrecy(and later embarrassment) is of utmost importance for this scam to be successful - and that she should call the Attorney General's Office immediately - and then we both shared a comforting laugh!
This scam preys on the frailty, angst, and instinctive, protective love of senior citizens! The location of the arrest is typically Canada or Mexico, and those most likely to be scammed are typically living quite a distance from the 'arrested,' so that the possiblities presented may be plausible. It is not typical for the caller to know the grandchild's name(although that information is easily accessible through on-line social websites, ie., Facebook, MySpace, Classmates.com, etc.), so they usually begin with an ambiguous salutation, ie., "Hello, Grandma, it's me." Concerned and almost wanting to recognize the voice, the typical response may be, "Is that you, Michael?" Then they have the hook! Let's face it - the hearing of the elderly(especially in the morning, and via a cell phone connection) may not be as sharp as it may need to be. It sounds like it IS your grandchild! The amount of bail is typically $4000 to $5000, but may be reduced to $3000 or less after 'haggling.' The phone number given may be an untraceable cell phone, and the only Sergeant you should be contacting is at your local police precinct!
I forgot to tell Adelaide that they would call again, if not receiving a timely response, so when I realized my omission, I called her. She said that she had already received their second call(only 15 minutes later!), which began with, "You're such a sweet lady...." And she quickly responded, "Yeah, and I'm a smart lady, too!" They then immediately hung up. And she did contact the New York State Attorney General's Office, who said that they were aware of this scam, and 'we are working on it.' They were not interested in the phone number given, or where the call may have originated from, or the traumatic experience that had occurred - SHAME ON THEM! If this happened in Arizona, Terry Goddard's Office would hunt them down - or at least TRY!
Anyway, please make sure that family members are protected from this scam(and others), by relating this event, and by offering your assistance in any matter necessary - and to recognize any offer with even a suggestion of 'secrecy' to be a 'red flag!' And if you live in Arizona, you can log-on to www.azag.gov for scam alerts and updates, or to report scams. If you don't live in Arizona(it's 70 degrees on January 6th!), contact your state's Attorney General's Office, and inquire as to their consumer protection services. And, Michael, call your grandma!
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