An elderly woman was duped into sending $13,400 to someone claiming to be her grandson in Canada after a supposed vehicle accident, according to the sheriff’s office.
The case reported June 30 – along with another similar, successful scam earlier last year in San Benito County – has spurred the sheriff’s office to warn residents about being wary of such solicitations.
According to the sheriff’s office statement, a subject called the woman claiming to be her grandson and saying he needed the money through a wire transfer to fix the situation. The victim later made contact with her grandson, who had not been in Canada and did not request the money.
In the case last year, a victim sent $2,400 to Peru to supposedly bail her grandson out of jail.
The sheriff’s office noted it “would like to remind the public to be wary of any solicitations for money.”
“Verify information through other family members, or resources before transferring money,” according to the sheriff’s office statement.
