Phone Scam Costs Ocean Reef Man Thousands

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KEY LARGO (CBSMiami) – An Ocean Reef resident paid thousands to bail his grandson out of jail—but two money orders later, he realized the whole thing was a hoax.

The victim, who lives in the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, told Deputy Michael Claudy he received the first call earlier in the week from someone he believed to be his grandson. The caller said he was jailed in Atlanta, Georgia.

The victim then spoke with a woman who identified herself as his grandson's lawyer. She told him his grandson's bond was $3,300, but they would take $1,300 for it. He was told to send a money gram to an offshore account in the Dominican Republic. He complied with the instructions, according to Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

The following day, the woman called back and told him she needed the full amount of the bond or his grandson would not be released. He sent another money gram for $2,000 more.

The third call, where she told him her son had injured someone and the injured person wanted medical bills paid, was when he realized he had been scammed.

The scam, police said, is typical, and is reported to law enforcement agencies across the country on a regular basis. Someone calls to say a loved one is in jail, or hurt in an accident, or in trouble of some kind and needs money. The callers can be extremely persuasive and they generally insist that time is of the essence, pushing the victim to send the money now without taking the time to call anyone about it.

If you receive such a call, either hang up immediately or take the time to check on the claims being made. In this situation, a call to a family member or even to authorities in Atlanta would have revealed the scam for what it was.