It’s commonly called the “Grandparent Scam” and it’s being reported to law enforcement nationwide. The Prince George’s County Police Department has received three reports of this scam since January 20, 2022. In two of those cases, the scammers successfully stole thousands of dollars from their victims.
In many “Grandparent Scam” cases, the suspects call an elderly victim and pretend to be one of their grandchildren who was just involved in a serious event such as a car crash or were arrested. The person posing as the grandchild gives the victim a phone number for a lawyer and then hangs up. The victim contacts the lawyer who attempts to convince them to a pay large amount of cash in order to help their grandchild. The suspect or a co-conspirator will then often go to the victim’s home and pick up the money. In some cases, the phone scammer pretends to be one of the victim’s children as well.
“They are really, really, really good at what they do.” Those are the words of a Lanham resident in her 70s who recently became a victim of the scam. She agreed to speak about her experience in hopes of alerting other residents. Please take a few minutes and listen to her recall what happened and her guidance for others. We have hidden her identity in order to protect her privacy.
Detectives with our Financial Crimes Unit are asking for the community’s assistance in identifying the suspect in these photos. He’s linked to the three recent theft by deception cases in the county. Our preliminary investigation revealed this suspect recently went to a victim’s home here in the county and took the money that the victim believed would go toward helping a family member.
Here is a flyer containing important safety tips for this scam and other common scams. Please share this information with your family and friends.
If you recognize the suspect in these photos, please call the Financial Crimes Unit at 301-516-1464. Callers wishing to remain anonymous may call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477), or go online at www.pgcrimesolvers.com, or use the “P3 Tips” mobile app search “P3 Tips” in the Apple Store or Google Play to download the app onto your mobile device. Please refer to case 22-0005402/22-0003009.
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