Western Pennsylvania has been plagued by scammers over the past several months, and state police at the Indiana barracks have fielded at least a dozen calls in recent days about the oft-reported “grandparent scam”. The majority of callers recognized the scam and avoided losing any money, but one woman was bilked out of thousands of dollars.
Police say that on Tuesday, a 79-year-old Indiana woman reported she got a call from an unknown man who claimed to represent a law firm. He told her that her grandson was involved in a vehicle crash and needed bail money. She then made arrangements for a “courier” to come to her home, which he did later that same day and collected $11,500.
The suspect is described as a thin, white male, about 25 years old and 5-feet-10 to 6-feet tall, with dark, wavy hair. He was wearing a greenish-brown neck-sleeve style of face covering. No vehicle was seen and he left on foot.
A similar crime occurred on February 2nd in Cambria County, where an 89-year-old woman lost $23,000 over two occasions. In that incident, the suspect was a white male, about 30 years old, with longer brown hair and wearing a knit winter hat and a surgical-style mask. He was driving a bright red car.
Police advise that you should talk over common scams with family members and should you be contacted, verify the legitimacy of the caller before providing any information. When in doubt, ignore the call, email, or text and contact a family member or local law enforcement.
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