Woodbridge Grandma Loses $2,199 In Scam

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — An 80-year-old Woodbridge Township woman lost over $2,000 in a scam this week after she sent $2,199 via MoneyGram, thinking the money was needed to bail her grandson out of jail for a DWI. And the scammers likely learned key information about her life from Facebook, police said.

The woman said that on Tuesday, she got a call from someone who she thought was her grandson, who is a Marine stationed in Hawaii. The voice on the phone told her he had been arrested for a DWI and needed $2,155 for bail money. The caller said he only was allowed one call and that the next call she would receive would be from his lawyer.

Moments later, a second man called her, and the man said he was a public defender based in Hawaii. He requested the money be sent to Long Island City, Queens. When the woman asked why, he said it would be easier to be routed from there to Hawaii. The elderly woman said she tried to contact her son — her grandson's father — all day to confirm if the story was true. When she couldn't reach him, the woman finally sent $2,199 via MoneyGram late Tuesday afternoon.

The Hawaii aspect was key to getting the woman to fall for the scam, police said. They aren't sure, but think the scammers most likely picked up that tidbit from social media, such as Facebook.

"That’s the problem with people being so free with posting information on Facebook," said Sgt. Roy Hoppock of the Woodbridge PD. "They have good intentions and think only people they know will see what they are posting. However, it’s a vehicle for the scammers to get the personal info they need."

After the payment went through, she received another call asking for $1,490 to pay for damages to the vehicle. This time the woman refused, saying she needed to talk to her son before sending any more cash. At 6 p.m. Tuesday, her son called her back and told her her grandson was fine. The woman went to Woodbridge police headquarters and filed the report. She will also be contacting MoneyGram to try and get her money back.

Woodbridge police say this is a very common scam, and they often see it affecting the Township's elderly residents. Stay alert.

Image via Morguefile