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The Nutley woman had gotten a call from a girl claiming to be her granddaughter asking for help and to “please don’t tell mom” on Friday, April 29, Police Director Alphonse Petracco and Chief Thomas Strumolo said.
A man pretending to be from Sayreville then took over the call and told the woman that her granddaughter had been arrested and that she needed to send money immediately.
The woman withdrew $2,000 and was moments away from wiring the money to the scammer at a nearby convenience store — until the vigilant clerk stepped in and told her she was being scammed.
The clerk and owner contacted police, who confirmed that the call was fraudulent and took her back to the bank to redeposit the cash.
“She was extremely shaken by the call and almost out $2,000 had not been for the vigilant storeowner,” police said, urging residents to stay vigilant to help prevent future occurrences.
“This is what we need,” said Director Petracco. “More store owners, bank tellers, and ordinary citizens to notify police when they see one of our seniors making big withdrawals, attempts to send funds, or any other suspicious activity before it is too late.”
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