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- May 22, 2008
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I posted this on FB this morning. I am posting this here ro say WE know but perhaps one of our lurkers do not - plus it came here to Podunk.
A relative posted on our daughter's FB page this morning wishing birthday greetings to his uncle. Shortly after that, we received a phone call asking for my husband by name and when asked who may I say is calling, the response was "his nephew". THIS dummy , having a name in the forefront supplied "oh, is this C***?"
I stayed on the line to hear the rest of the story being told because we have never heard from C - "I had an accident last night and I sound different because I have a broken nose and stitched lip." and then proceeded with his tale. Thing is I was arrested for DUI. I have a friend from Columbia who was getting married and was offered a free trip to attend the wedding. And now I am at a pay phone calling you from the jail..... at this point, knowing of this scam, I asked him what his Mother's name was. After repeating the question rather than answering why, he finally said Ruth. Told my husband to hang up as this was not the person we thought it was. (We do not have any Ruth in the family.)
Be aware - we bailed before he asked for money. It will be a plausible story of illness, mugging, arrest, accident in need of money and it will be a relative or someone calling FOR that relative who could be in Canada, Mexico, or anywhere in the world (although actually the relative is at home). Before you EVER send money, call the relative or the neighbor of the relative, someone YOU called to check on the story. It is a scam - usually used on elderly grandparents.
A relative posted on our daughter's FB page this morning wishing birthday greetings to his uncle. Shortly after that, we received a phone call asking for my husband by name and when asked who may I say is calling, the response was "his nephew". THIS dummy , having a name in the forefront supplied "oh, is this C***?"
I stayed on the line to hear the rest of the story being told because we have never heard from C - "I had an accident last night and I sound different because I have a broken nose and stitched lip." and then proceeded with his tale. Thing is I was arrested for DUI. I have a friend from Columbia who was getting married and was offered a free trip to attend the wedding. And now I am at a pay phone calling you from the jail..... at this point, knowing of this scam, I asked him what his Mother's name was. After repeating the question rather than answering why, he finally said Ruth. Told my husband to hang up as this was not the person we thought it was. (We do not have any Ruth in the family.)
Be aware - we bailed before he asked for money. It will be a plausible story of illness, mugging, arrest, accident in need of money and it will be a relative or someone calling FOR that relative who could be in Canada, Mexico, or anywhere in the world (although actually the relative is at home). Before you EVER send money, call the relative or the neighbor of the relative, someone YOU called to check on the story. It is a scam - usually used on elderly grandparents.