Scam Costs Avon Lake Man $8,500

AVON LAKE, OH - Scammers targeted an 81-year-old Avon Lake man last week, stealing $8,500 using an imperiled grandchild scheme.

On June 5, someone called the 81-year-old and pretended to be his granddaughter. She said she had been jailed and needed $8,500 for bail money. Then, another scammer, posed as the girl's attorney and told the man to wire the money to a credit union account.

The 81-year-old realized it was a scam too late. He wired the money and then contacted police to try and stop the transfer. It was too late.

The Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs notes that the "jailed grandchild" scam is one of the most common ploys used to target grandparents. The department recommends that families get together and discuss strategies for how to deal with these situations. For instance, if a family member is actually in legal trouble, should they have to say a code word to confirm the authenticity of their situation?

Grandchildren should talk to their grandparents about what to do if someone calls claiming to be them. Namely, would the grandchild ever actually tell their grandparents to not contact other family members?

For more information on how to deal with these scams, visit the department's website.