TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Slick Scammers On The Prowl

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 22, 2008

As a general rule, criminals aren't nice people. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. Some people simply make mistakes - costly ones, but mistakes nonetheless. Then there are the kinds of bad guys any sane, upstanding person can only describe as despicable. You know, the kind of people you'd love to strangle just on general principles.

The despicable description is perhaps what best fits the nameless, faceless criminals who are now preying on Pasco County's elderly using telephones as their weapons. According to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, these bad guys have struck at least a half dozen times in recent history.

Their modus operandi is fairly simply and it's downright slick. It seems these people are calling Florida residents from Canada. When they get an elderly person on the phone, they trick that person into thinking they're a relative who is in trouble in the Great White North. Once the prey is convinced their "favorite grandson" is on the line and needs help, they proceed to request that money be wired to them immediately.

In two recent Pasco County cases, the scammers managed to make off with more than $6,000. In the first one, a man called an 82-year-old Trinity resident and posed as her grandson, Brian. He convinced her to send nearly $6,000 to Canada. In the second case, a similar call came in to the home of an 82-year-old Zephyrhills woman. The suspect in this case also convinced the woman it was her grandson on the phone. She wired $1,000 to Canada.

Doug Tobin, spokesman for the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, says this scam is a variation on others law enforcement has seen in the past. The kicker, however, is that getting the victims' money back is almost impossible due to the international nature of the crime and the fact money was wired, which makes it rather difficult to trace.

The sheriff's office urges all residents to be very wary if anyone calls asking for money - especially late at night. To make certain it's truly a relative or friend on the other end of the line, the sheriff's office suggests residents:

•Take great pains to verify the caller's identity

•Check with other relatives to see if they can help before sending money

•Never give out personal information to someone who calls on the phone

What makes this type of crime so disturbing was very well summed up Tobin.

"They prey on the elderly," he said. "They're going to people who really aren't suspecting. (The victims) are the kind of people who would not hesitate to help out a relative."

In essence, they go for the jugular veins of people who prove there are still some very high points left in humanity. These are kind of folks who believe families come first as well as the belief that helping someone when they're down is a must.

Sadly, the scammers prove that there's also a segment of the population that is nothing short of despicable.

Sherri Lonon is the editor of In The Loop.

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT