A Santee woman said someone tried to pose as her grandson tos cam her out of almost $1,000 so she decided posted the story online to warn others.
Patricia Welch got a call from someone claiming to be her eldest grandson who told her he sounded funny because he was wearing a medical collar.
The man on the phone then claimed to have caused a car crash that landed him in jail.
“He said, ‘I can’t stay here. I need $864,’” Welch recalled.
When she replied that she didn’t have any money, she said the phone call was disconnected, conversation over.
But it wasn't until Welch called her son that she learned the hard and hurtful truth.
“He says, ‘You got scammed,’” she said.
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“I think they’re really pretty lowlifes,” she said about the man on the other end of the phone. “I can't say what I'd like to say but that's exactly how I feel.”
Welch isn’t alone, according to officials with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.
Half of the reports into adult protective services involve some kind of financial elder abuse online, in the mail or over the phone.
The scams are usually one of three situations: the caller says you owe money, someone you love needs the money or you’ve won money.
If you get a similar phone call, the answer is simple.
“Don't give it to them,” Welch said.
She posted the story onto a Facebook group for East County residents to warn others and was surprised at how many responses she received.
The DA’s Office suggests residents should be skeptical. Refuse to give out personal information. Call a police report if they feel they’ve been duped. They can also call
adult protective services (800) 510-2020.
