Alert Jewel-Osco Employee Foils 'Grandparent Scam'

PALOS PARK, IL -- An alert Jewel-Osco employee saved an elderly Orland Park man from getting ripped off Monday afternoon in a phone scam. Palos Park police responded to the supermarket after the employee’s suspicions became aroused. The 85-year-old man had been told that his grandson was involved in a bad accident and was about to send several thousand dollars to bail him out of jail.

Chief Joe Miller, of the Palos Park Police Department, said officers responded to Jewel-Osco at 9652 W. 131st St. around 2:20 p.m. Monday. The Orland Park man was on the phone with an “attorney” named Mr. Perez. Police said the fake attorney was waiting for the elderly man to confirm the transfer of $2,425 to bail his grandson out of jail in Wisconsin. The employee called police as the “attorney” was waiting to confirm the transfer. Police were able to stop the money from being sent to the crook.

Miller said that Mr. Perez’s phone number on the victim’s caller ID, 203-548-7056, is a well known number for the “grandparent” scam. Fraudsters call older victims and pose as grandchildren or attorneys representing the grandkids, who are supposedly in jail and need bail money. In one variation of the scheme, a youthful voice gets on the line and tells the elderly victim they’re in trouble and to talk to their “attorney.” The phone is then handed over to scammer’s partner in crime. Once these fraudsters have the victim hooked, they’re able to trick him or her into sending money via MoneyGrams, gift card codes, electronic fund transfers or some other conveyance. The victim is often told to keep the money transfer a secret from other family members.

In June, an Orland Park Best Buy employee urged an older man to contact his son before he transferred $4,000 worth of gift card codes to an “attorney” in Virginia.

What you can do to protect yourself and older family members from the “grandparent scam:"

• Educate yourself and your family on how the grandparent phone works.
• Be suspicious of anyone who is vague in identifying themselves on the phone, or anyone who calls or emails unexpectedly and wants you to wire money.
• Call someone else in the family to verify if a grandchild is out of town and in trouble.
• Consider creating a “code word” or a “password” for your family to use in emergency situations as verification of identity and do not tell it to anyone outside the family.
• Role play or practice a phone scam scenario with an older family member or neighbor.
• If in doubt, hang up the phone or don’t answer it if you don’t recognize a phone number on caller ID.
• Train employees to recognize older consumers in distress, who may suddenly be transferring large sums of money, purchasing MoneyGrams or relaying gift card codes long distance. Gently inform consumers of the scam and urge them to call family members to verify the situation, or call the police if you think the consumer is being scammed.