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The quick thinking of one Long Island grandmother landed a scammer in police custody.
According to CBS New York, a 73-year-old Seaford resident known only as "Jean" outwitted a man attempting to scam her out of $8,000 and coordinated a plan which ultimately led to the would-be thief's arrest.
A former 911 dispatcher, Jean told CBS New York that after she received a suspicious phone call from a man claiming to be her grandson, she knew she was being targeted by a fraudster.
"I knew he was a real scammer," Jean told CBS New York. "I just knew he wasn't going to scam me."
Explaining that the caller claimed he was her grandson, and that he had been arrested for drunk driving, Jean said the man made multiple mistakes while pleading for her to cough up $8,000 for his supposed bail.
"He starts calling me 'grandma,' and then I'm like, I don't have a grandson that drives, so I knew it was a scam," Jean told CBS New York.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, millions of elderly Americans fall victim to some type of financial fraud each year.
Losing an estimated $3 billion annually to elder fraud, older people are frequently targeted by scammers because they are likely to have financial savings, own a home, and have good credit. (Per the Federal Trade Commission, $1.2 billion of reported fraud losses in 2020 were the result of imposter scams.)
From faux romantic interests to phony tech support employees, scammers employ a myriad of strategies when trying to solicit cash from senior citizens.
The FBI also lists grandparent schemes as financial threats to elderly Americans.
However, while it is recommended that any communication with a potential scammer is ended immediately, CBS New York reported that when contacted by the man posing as her grandson, Jean took matters into her own hands.
After several phone calls, a person claiming to be her grandson's lawyer again requested the $8,000.
The 73-year-old grandmother said she informed the phony lawyer that she had the money at her house and that they had to pick it up. Much to her surprise, the tactic worked.
"I told him I had the money in the house, and I figured, he's not going to fall for that," she told CBS New York. "Well, he fell for that hook, line and sinker."
Jean called the police, and when someone claiming to be a bail bondsman arrived at her home to collect the $8,000, she handed over an envelope filled with paper towels. Upon the exchange, waiting officers arrested Joshua Estrella Gomez, a 28-year-old man from Mineloa, New York.
According to CBS New York, Gomez was issued a desk appearance ticket and is set to be arraigned on Feb. 3.
In a press conference, Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder praised Jean for her quick thinking, and slammed scammers for preying on elderly Americans.
"Don't listen to these scams," Ryder said. "These individuals sit at home and have nothing better to do than think of ways to take advantage of our elderly."
About the writer
Taylor McCloud is a Newsweek staff writer based in California. His focus is reporting on trending and viral topics. Taylor ... Read more