Phone call scams

(WAVY.com) - It starts with a phone call to the home of an unsuspecting victim, usually an elderly citizen.

On the other line is a desperate voice with a familiar plea for money. Alex Turner, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Norfolk office, says the caller will tell the victim "... that a relative has either been arrested or is in some dire straights and requires funding to get them out of jail or release them from whatever the dire straight is."

The scammers main targets are senior citizens. "Unfortunately, our elderly population is vulnerable. They'll take immediate action, obviously because they want to protect their loved ones, and they will wire money [to] the person that called, to a specific account."

A viewer emailed 10 On Your Side after her mother fell for the scam. In the email, the viewer wrote that her mother got a "call from a young man in distress claiming to be her grandson". He was allegedly jailed in Canada. The caller "implored her not to tell his mother." The woman wired more than $5,000 -- money she most likely will not see again.

"To be able to point our finger on that one person that's behind this scam, a name and a face, is going to be very difficult. So getting the money back? Probably not," said Detective Samantha Swanson of Virginia Beach Police's Economic Crime Unit.

Det. Swanson advises would-be victims to question the caller. "If this person's claiming to be a family member, or knows a family member, ask particular questions... you know, what's their date of birth? Who are the other family members?"

SAC Turner says those receiving the phone call "... must verify who they are talking to before they provide any personal information."

Now if you get a caller in distress asking you for money, and you believe it's a scam, you can report it to Phone busters. Their number is 1-888-495-8501.

Helpful sites:

PhoneBusters

BBB phone call scam warning

BBB phone call scam warning 2