Elderly woman scammed

A 74 year old Key Largo woman fell victim to a common scam Tuesday.

The victim got a phone call from someone claiming to be her son saying he was in trouble. The voice sounded in distress and the person sounded like they were crying. She said another person then got on the phone saying her son owed them money and they were beating him up. The man on the phone demanded she immediately wire them $2448 to ensure her son’s safety.

The victim was told to stay on the phone until the wire went through. She wired two transfers totaling that amount to two different people in Puerto Rico. Afterward, she called her son and found out he was fine.

This victim is not the first Keys resident to fall for this particular scam, which uses threats of harm to family and high pressure tactics to keep people from checking the story before the scam is successful. The scammers also always insist the victim stay on the phone the entire time because they do not want to allow the victim to talk to anyone who might realize it is a scam. They ask that money be wired to a location outside the United States; sometimes they also ask the victims to purchase green dot or other types of cash cards as payment. It is extremely difficult to catch the perpetrators.

If you have elderly friends or family members, they are the most likely to fall victim to this scam and many others. Make sure you educate them in the types of scams they may encounter so they will recognize them for what they are and will just hang up the phone. The people who perpetrate these scams are extremely persuasive and convincing. The longer someone stays on the phone with them, the more likely they are to fall victim.

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