81°
An elderly Greenwich resident was swindled out of several thousand dollars last week, and the police are warning people to be wary of grandparent scams.
The duped resident was contacted by a man asking for money to bail the victims grandchild out of jail, police said.
"Scams wherein the perpetrator takes advantage of the trusting nature of an elderly grandparent are not new and are very common," Officer John King of the special victims section of the Greenwich Police Department said in January.
In November, a person claiming to be the grandson of an 84-year-old Greenwich resident contacted the man for money. The caller told the man he had been in a car accident and asked for money to cover the damages. Unfortunately, the grandparent sent money twice before contacting his grandson, who had no knowledge of a car accident.
Police suggest that anyone receiving a similar phone call contact family members directly to verify the caller's claims before sending money. Related questions should be directed to the special victims section at (203) 622-8030.
Have you or a member of your family ever been affected by this or any other scam aimed at the elderly? Please leave a comment below.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Greenwich and receive free news updates.
