Police Probe Grandparent Scam After Woman Bilked Out Of $2K

Ocean City police are investigating a new variation on an old scam that snared an elderly resort woman last month and bilked her out of over $2,000.

Last month, an 84-year-old Ocean City woman got an early morning call from an individual claiming to be her grandson, who was in trouble and in dire need of financial assistance. The caller told his “grandmother” he was in St. Lucia for a wedding and that he had been in an accident, had broken his nose and was in jail on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. The caller told the victim he needed $2,000 to get out of jail and get medical attention for his injuries.

The unsuspecting grandmother, sensing one of her own was in trouble and needed immediate help, wired the $2,000 requested to the individual at the appointed place and time and also paid the $115 to complete the transaction. She later learned the caller was not her grandson, who was safely home in the U.S. and was not in a dire situation. On the other end of the transaction, an unknown individual picked up the wired money and completed another successful scam.

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