Scammers are Alive and Well in East Texas With My Dad Being Proof

Recently, I was spending some time with my parents in Lindale, Texas. My mom went to pick up lunch so me and my dad got some father-son time. He told me about a call he had gotten that sounded very real. Luckily, he recognized that it was a scam and didn't become a new victim.

Put On a Good Show

We've heard of the phone scams where someone calls and pretends to be a grandkid who has gotten in trouble and been sent to jail. The scammers put on a pretty good act to convince the other person to pay such and such amount for bail. Some have fallen for it and lost thousands of dollars which is why these scammers continue to pull this kind of stunt in hopes of making some money.

My dad told me that he got one of those calls. He said the phone number did look suspicious on the caller ID but he answered anyway. When he picked up, the person on the other side said "Hey grandpa." For him, this was an instant red flag because neither my niece or nephew call him grandpa.

Caller's Story

The caller went into a story of getting into a wreck while riding with his friend. The caller said the cops searched the car he and his friend were in and found a loaded gun. He and his friend were in jail and needed $5,000 to bail him out. The caller even gave him a name of a court appointed attorney.

My dad said okay initially. He called the number they gave him a few minutes later and said he had the money. The caller said he would be there in a few minutes to pick it up. My dad was already a little skeptical as it was so he hung up and called the courthouse to inquire about the name of the court appointed attorney the scammers gave him. The court had no record of it.

Scam was Botched

He then called my nephew. He was at home and nothing had happened. Dad called the number back and told the man he talked to his grandson and he was okay. The scammer immediately hung up and, of course, never got the money.

Scammers are on the same low level as thieves. To use this type of deceit to steal money is pure evil, just like a thief who comes into your home and takes your things. I've talked with mom and dad a lot about avoiding these types of scams either by phone or through email. Talk to your parents and set up some kind of plan if they get a call like this or what a suspicious email can look like and what to do if they get one.

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