New Phone Scam Claims Loved One Needs Financial Help

The Ilion Police Department is warning the public of another phone scam making the rounds in the Mohawk Valley.

According to police, an elderly woman contacted the department to notify them of a suspicious call she had received from someone claiming to be her grandson.

The woman tells police that the person said their voice was unrecognizable due to a horrible accident. The caller, according to the woman's account to police, said he had a broken nose and gauze in his mouth.

That is when the scam began. The woman then told police her "grandson" had been arrested and was in need of bail money. This individual is not working alone. Police say, a second caller then contacted the woman claiming to be from the District Attorney's office.

The person claiming to be with the DA's office described the false incident surrounding her grandson's arrest and instructed the woman to withdrawal $15,000 from her bank account and wire it to a specific location. The woman who contacted the police knew it was a scam and called police.

The other set of grandparents for this "grandson" were not as suspicious. Police say, the believed the caller and went to their bank, removed the money and began the wire transfer. The associate at the bank luckily asked the couple some questions and was able to determine it was a scam and stopped the transfer.

Ilion Police want everyone to know, especially during these difficult times, to be ever vigilant and aware of all the potential scammers out there. They remind the community members to never send money to someone you don't know and are asking people to share this warning with their elderly relatives. Police advise people to monitor what they post on social media as that may give scammers like the one mentioned in this scenario information to help convince a susceptible grandparent or elderly person.