Grandparents always enjoy the pleasure of a phone call from a grandchild — especially an unexpected one. And if that grandchild went on to plead for money on behalf of other relatives who needed emergency medical or legal assistance, many elderly people wouldn’t hesitate to reach for their wallets.
Unfortunately, that impulse to be helpful and charitable was just what a team of con artists preyed upon, in a scheme that eventually included eight people from four states.
According to court documents, members of the network induced elderly Americans across the U. S. to pay anywhere from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars each, believing they were helping out a grandchild or close family relative.
‘Financially And Emotionally Devastated’
According to court documents, network members would reach out to their elderly victims by phone. Impersonating a grandchild, they would convince the victim that either they or another relative was in serious legal trouble and in need of bail money. Another story employed was that there had been a car accident and cash was needed immediately either to pay for medical expenses or to keep someone from filing a lawsuit.
If the unsuspecting senior was willing to supply funds for the fabricated emergency, the defendants and others who worked with them would accept the money from various options, including mail, wire transfer or even picking it up in person. The money would then be laundered by various methods, including turning it into cryptocurrency, in hopes of escaping detection.
U. S. Attorney Randy Grossman (Southern District of CA) said that the organization members were guilty of exploiting the tremendous bond between a grandparent and grandchild. “The victims were financially and emotionally devastated by callous people who thought only of enriching themselves.”
Unfortunately, this kind of scam has been an established kind of fraud, with con artists finding it easier to motivate victims by appealing to their desire to be charitable to loved ones. In 2021, more than 450 victims over 60 reported grandparent scams, with approximate losses above $6.5 million.
Up To 20-Year Sentence Possible
All eight in the organization have been indicted, and six have pleaded guilty. In federal court, Lyda Harris of Lavenn, Arizona pled guilty on July 7, after being extradited from Albania and brought to the United States. Tracy Glinton of Orlando, Florida pled guilty on June 9. Two of the defendants remain at large.
Noting that con artists continue to target the elderly, an FBI special agent on the case noted that the defendants “intentionally preyed upon and systematically stole from their victims without a second thought. Special Agent Stacey Moy of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office noted that the guilty pleas “send a clear message that the FBI is committed to identifying, investigating, and bringing to justice those who are committing financial crimes. The FBI will continue to work with our partners on the San Diego’s Elder Justice Task Force to protect our elders.”
Both Glinton and Harris pled guilty to conspiracy. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
What Can You Do?
Ask questions: If you receive a call, email, or text from someone who says they’re a friend or loved one and asking for money to deal with an emergency, don’t be afraid to ask for identity verification. Ask them questions that only the actual person would know the answer to. Ask them what your middle name is, or where they last saw you, or what their favorite sports team or food is. If the emergency is genuine, you won’t have lost any time, and if the person is really who they say they are, they shouldn’t be hesitant or offended that you are checking on these facts.
Share this info: Tell others about these scams and how they are perpetrated. Make sure that others in your group know they might be targeted by individuals impersonating someone they know, just to get money.
Report: The Department of Justice runs the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311), which has an interactive tool for elders who have been financially exploited to help determine to which agency they should report their incident, and also a senior scam alert website. Victims are encouraged to file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at this website or by calling 800-225-5324. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP.