Jeaninne came across the street to tell me how Dean's mother--who is 85 or so--was scammed.  Jeaninne wanted to be sure I had heard of the scam.

Dean's mom got a phone call from a (so-called) lawyer saying her grandson was in jail.  He had been in a wreck, the other person was badly hurt, her grandson was to blame, and they had thrown him in the slammer.  He needed her to send $8000.00 for bail.  Of course, it was a scam, but she fell for it.

She headed to her bank to make a loan and send the money.

Luckily, her son Dean called her bank, advised her banker of what was going on, and stopped the withdrawal.  His mother was hysterical, telling the banker and Dean that her grandson needed bail.  That he was counting on her.  She was crying and sobbing because she couldn't get the loan.

It took over an hour to get it straightened out--with the poor woman hysterical because they wouldn't give her the money.  Broken hearted that they wouldn't let her help someone she loved.

I can't help but wonder how many older people would fall for this.

You don't answer incoming unsolicited phone calls.  And besides, nobody legitimate asks for money over the phone.  And...just hang up and call your grandson!!  Find out the truth.

But maybe you have a grandmother or grandfather who is not "Up to date" on scams and how they pull them off.  It would be a good time to have a talk with them.