A elderly Northeast Iowa couple has been bilked out of $15,000 by scammers.
The Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office says the victims were targeted by the “Grandparent Scam” Tuesday (12.17) in which scammers drove to their residence under the guise of a “courier” and took possession of $15,000 in cash.
WCSO says they took several additional reports of this scheme where the victims detected the scam and no money was lost. They add it’s likely more households have fallen victim to this scam that have not yet been reported.
WCSO says the scam goes something like the following: The scammers have an elaborate story about an adult grandchild or other loved one being involved in a vehicle accident with a pregnant lady. They claim their grandchild was texting and driving when the accident occurred and was subsequently charged and taken to jail.
The scammers also pose as law enforcement officials, attorneys and the victims’ grandchild, who says they’re being mistreated by law enforcement and emphasizes the need for urgency with the bond money to get them out of jail. The scammers are very persistent and demanding. Furthermore, the scammers insist the victims are under gag orders and cannot report or discuss the situation with anyone.
WCSO notes this is a very common scam, with the most recent scam seeming to target landline phones.
The case remains under investigation and the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office continues to pursue any leads.
