Phoenix police are warning about a phone scam that has been targeting the elderly recently in Ahwatukee Foothills.
Twice this past week Ahwatukee seniors have reported getting a call from a strange number. When they answer they are greeted as “Grandma” or “Grandpa,” said Benjamin Morris, community action officer for the Phoenix Police Department.
The caller speaks in a muffled voice and explains that he is in Cancun, Mexico, and was driving under the influence when he was in an accident and broke his jaw. He speaks with a normal American-English accident, Morris said. The caller goes on to explain that he’s in jail and needs $2,200 to get out of jail and pay his fines. He asks for money to be wired via Western Union and says he will call from the airport the next day to let them know he got out safely. The scammer never calls back.
Morris said two Ahwatukee seniors have fallen for the scam and warns others to be careful. Do not wire money to anyone you speak to over the phone without verifying their identity 100 percent, Morris said. Your bank will never request personal information via email. If a caller requests personal information over the telephone, tell them you will call the bank back at a number you know and give them the information. If they argue, there is probably a reason.
The FBI has a complete list of possible phone scams and other fraud schemes on its website, http://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/fraud.
Contact writer: (480) 898-7914 or ahurtado@ahwatukee.com
