The Ohio Attorney General’s Office has warning for older Ohioans.
They say they’ve received 89 complaints regarding a phone scam throughout the state.
As it turns out, this scam has tricked dozens of people into handing over thousands of dollars.
One of those people is Joe Patton of Columbus.
“He said, ‘do you know who this is?’”
Patton can still hear the voice on the other end of the phone; a voice the 74-year-old thought belonged to his grand nephew.
“I said ‘Is this Darrel, the dental student from NYU?’ and he said ‘Yes, I have a terrible cold but I’m in trouble and I desperately need your help,’” recallsPatton.
Patton said Darrel told him he and a friend had been arrested for drunk driving while out on the town inHouston, Texas and he needed Patton to wire $6,200immediately to his attorneys.
Patton did as he was asked.
Then a few days later, he called Darrel’s mother.
“She said ‘Uncle Joe, I don’t know what’s going on with you, but Darrel… is on a skiing trip in Vermont’” saidPatton.
“At that moment, I knew I had been scammed,” he says.
The Ohio Attorney General’s office says the average loss for those who have been had from this scam is around $6,700.
“They (scam artists) really prey on the natural instinct of a grand parent to help that child,” said DeWine.
He says if you get a similar and unexpected phone call, test your so-called relative.
“Ask them their dad’s name or their mom’s name, something the scam artists probably won’t know,” saysDeWine.
Patton says he realizes the mistake he made and hopes others won’t follow his example.
“I don’t believe I’m anybody’s fool, I have a business degree and I’m a business person of many years and it should never have happened to me,” says Patton.
The Ohio Attorney General’s office offers this advice:
- Be suspicious if your “Grandson” or “Granddaughter” tells you to keep the situation between the two of you and not call “Mom and Dad” about it.
- Tell your loved ones about the Grandparent scam.
- Never wire transfer money to someone who calls unexpectedly, even if the caller claims to be a grandchild or other family member.
- Ask callers questions that only your real family members would know how to answer.
- Encourage your family not to post up-coming travel plans online.
- Family members, friends and neighbors must watch out for those who are most vulnerable to these malicious scammers. Look for any unusual banking activity and receipts from wire transfer services.
- If a victim gives money once, the scam artists may put the victim on a “sucker list” (a list of individuals who are likely to give money), and the scam artists continue to contact the victim for more money, sometimes they will call multiple times a day.
- To contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office for consumer information or to report a scam go to OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov or call 800-282-0515
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