Phone Scam Dupes Woman Twice in Fairfax: Police

FAIRFAX, VA — As long as some people keep falling for various forms of phone scams, the perpetrators will keep doing it. A city woman in the 10800 block of Charles Drive was duped Tuesday and then the next day by just such a scam, according to Fairfax Police. Seems a grandson was in need of money for bail following some sort of incident.

But, of course, her grandson was in no such danger. Here's how it went down. On Thursday, she told police she received a call Tuesday from someone supposedly with the United States Embassy in the Dominican Republic. The caller said her grandson had been involved in an accident and needed money to get out of jail. So the woman sent the money.

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Then, on Wednesday, the same guy called her and said it was imperative she send more money for a "boarding pass." So she sent the money. Later, she called police, who checked it out and found that. . .her grandson had never been to the Dominican Republic.

The Federal Trade Commission has tips to avoid such scams:

If someone calls or sends a message claiming to be a family member or a friend desperate for money:

• Resist the urge to act immediately, no matter how dramatic the story is.
• Verify the person’s identity by asking questions that a stranger couldn’t possibly answer.
• Call a phone number for your family member or friend that you know to be genuine.
• Check the story out with someone else in your family or circle of friends, even if you’ve been told to keep it a secret.
• Don’t wire money — or send a check or money order by overnight delivery or courier.
• Report possible fraud at ftc.gov/complaint or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP.

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