AUBURN, Maine — An elderly couple in Auburn were able to recover $6,000 in cash after they were scammed over the phone by someone pretending to be their grandson.
According to the Auburn Police Department, the victims, a retired couple in their eighties, were called by a person crying on the phone, saying he was their grandson. The caller told the couple he had been drinking and was involved in an accident. The scammer even explained away why his voice sounded different - a fat lip, he said.
The impostor said he had been arrested and a person claiming to be his attorney then got on the line and told the couple to mail $6,000 in cash.
The victims were given very specific directions on how to mail the money and were told not to tell anyone about the situation, police say.
Law enforcement officials intercepted the package containing the couple's cash from a shipping distribution center. After collecting the money, an Auburn Police Detective was able to give it back to the couple.
The Auburn Police Department asks people to take time to teach their elderly relatives, friends, and neighbors about warning signs of scams, since there is a growing list of crimes targeting the elderly.
Police say Mainers should always verify who they are speaking with on the phone when taking unsolicited calls asking for any type of payment.
The United States Senate Special Committee on Aging has a Fraud Hotline at 1-855-303-9470.
