Serial Scam Artists Target Westlake Grandmother, Caught By Police

WESTLAKE, OH — Two suspected scam artists who were conning their way across the U.S. were caught by Westlake police recently, a department spokesperson said.

On Aug. 26, at 11 a.m., the woman contacted police and said she had been ensnared in a scam. She said someone pretending to be her grandson called and said he was in a traffic accident. The scammer said he needed legal help.

At that point, a second man got on the phone and told the 83-year-old he was her grandson's public defender. He said the grandson needed a large sum of money to pay the court and "get out of trouble."

The pair of scammers convinced the woman to go to the bank for cash. They told her she could tell no one about the "bond payment" because there was a gag order on the case and she could get into legal trouble.

The "public defender" offered to send a courier to her home to pick up the money.

A man driving a 10 foot U-Haul truck arrived at the woman's home. He collected the cash and drove away. The woman lost thousands of dollars in the scam, police said.

"Investigators are following up with video from the area and comparing notes with other Northeast Ohio police departments who reported having very similar crimes," a police spokesperson said. Detectives have sent information on the U-Haul to other police departments. The truck appeared to have a camel painted on the side.

On Aug. 29, police got a tip that a U-Haul matching that description was seen in a parking lot in Cleveland. Working with Cleveland police, officers determined the drivers were the same men involved in the scam.

Officers found a stolen handgun in the U-Haul. Airline tickets and other receipts were also found in the vehicle, indicating the pair had been moving around Ohio and the U.S.

The two men — both residents of Florida — have been charged with felony theft in connection with the scam in Westlake, police said.

The duo are also suspected of involvement in similar scams in 10 Northeast Ohio communities, and cities in Iowa and Wisconsin.

Police said they believe the suspects collected more than $150,000 from their victims.

The two men, both 25-years-old, were arraigned in Rocky River Municipal Court and then taken to Cuyahoga County Jail.