VIRGINIA BEACH – An elderly Va. Beach couple is out more than $5000 after sending money to help a person they thought was their grandson.
They got a call from the man, asking for help and $2,800. They send the money and soon after, they get another call. The man says he needs more money to pay a hospital bill, so they wired another $2,300 through Western Union.
They knew they'd been duped when their actual grandson called and said he'd never asked them for money. And amazingly, while they were talking, the fake grandson called yet again.
Authorities say this isn’t a new scheme. The so-called "Grandson" scheme has been around for many years. They say it’s particularly dangerous because the natural willingness to help a family member in a crisis.
Looking back at the incident, the couple says they see the red flags.
"He did say to me, 'Don't tell anybody,'" said Rosemary Martini. "He's our shining star, and he didn't want to let his father know he was in trouble, so naturally I didn't call anybody," she explained.
The Martinis have gotten new phones with caller ID to give them more information about who's calling.
