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Fairfield police are warning residents to watch out for grandmother scams after a local woman fell victim to the swindle Monday morning. An 88-year-old Linwood Avenue woman received a call Dec. 6 from a man claiming to be her grandson. The suspect told her he was in jail in Toronto after causing a traffic accident and needed $3,018 to get out of trouble.
The woman followed the instructions of a second man claiming to be her grandsons attorney. Police said that although it made no sense, she wired the money to a Martin Lopez in Spain from the Western Union office at the Stop & Shop on Madison Avenue in Bridgeport. The woman then called police after speaking with her grandson, who said he was fine and not in Toronto.
Sgt. Suzanne Lussier of the Fairfield Police said the woman fell victim to a common scam. Suspects call random phone numbers, looking for people willing to wire money. They prey on senior citizens because their hearing often has difficulty distinguishing voices, and they tend to be more trusting. Lussier said the best thing to do if you get a suspicious phone call from a grandchild is to ask specific questions to check the identity, and call the grandchilds parents to see if they are really out of town.
Always call and verify, Lussier said. Even if they tell you not to tell anybody.
Also from the police blotter
Two 16-year-old Bridgeport girls were caught shoplifting Monday afternoon at Kohls on Tunxis Hill Road. Store security saw the girls attempt to leave the store without paying for $578 in clothing and accessories they had concealed on their bodies and in bags.
Police charged both with fifth-degree larceny and conspiracy to commit larceny. They charged one of the girls with interfering with an officer after she gave a false name and age to the arresting officer. The two were released into their parents custody on a promise to appear in court Dec. 16.
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