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BPD: 79-year-old man conned out of $13,500 in another grandparent scam
Anyone with information about this scam in the Longwood area is asked to contact Area B-2 detectives at 617-343-4275.
Boston police are requesting the public’s help in identifying a driver of a motor vehicle in connection with a grandparent scam that took place in the Longwood Avenue area Tuesday.
A 79-year-old man was allegedly scammed out of $13,500 after someone called him claiming to be his grandson in need of bail money, Boston police said in a release.
The person claiming to be his grandson said he was in jail after he was involved in an accident in which a 35-year-old woman was seriously injured, police said. A second person, who claimed to be a public defender, allegedly joined the call and told the victim that bail was set to $13,500 and a bail bondsman could meet up with the grandparent to pick up the money.
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The victim told the callers that he had to take a family member to a hospital in the Longwood area, so he could meet the bail bondsman around there.
On Tuesday at around 2:30 p.m., the victim reportedly met an unknown Black male, who was driving a white Nissan four-door sedan, in the area of Brookline Avenue outside Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and handed over the cash, according to police.
The victim later received another call from an alleged attorney, who said the woman involved in the accident was pregnant and had lost the baby, police said. Because of this, the alleged attorney said bail had been increased by $15,000.
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The victim became suspicious at this point and soon confirmed that his grandson was actually safe at school, police said.
Anyone with information about this scam in the Longwood area is asked to contact Area B-2 detectives at 617-343-4275.
Boston police are already investigating another grandparent scam incident from Aug. 2 that took place in downtown Boston.
Anyone who receives a call like this should immediately contact police and note the phone number of where the call or text originated from. Authorities also recommend that people always ask for specific information from callers about where the family member is located and what their family member looks like to help confirm or dispel the claim. People should also try to contact the family member to confirm their wellbeing, police said.
“We definitely want people to be aware this is going on and not be surprised or shocked when it happens, and report it to police so we can investigate,” Sgt. Det. John Boyle, chief spokesman for the Boston Police Department, told The Boston Globe. “Contact your loved ones or anyone who you think could have been kidnapped or arrested, and do not meet with people.
“When you get one of these calls, slow it down and don’t let your emotions take over,” Boyle added to the Globe.
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In addition to filing a report with the Boston Police Department, victims are also encouraged to report any phone and/or internet fraud scams to the Federal Trade Commission. Victims can call the FTC at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or TTY 1-866-653-4261 or visit www.consumer.ftc.gov/scam-alerts.
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