Since the pandemic, scammers are targeting senior citizens in America. According to the FBI, scammers have targeted elderly people for $1Billion in 2020, up $300M from last year.
Social media has become a popular way for elderly people to stay in touch with their loved ones, even if they are far away.
“The combination of online shopping and social media creates easy venues for scammers to post false advertisements,” said an FBI report.
“Many victims report ordering items from links advertised on social media and either receiving nothing at all or receiving something completely unlike the advertised item.”
Jean Ebbert (73), of Long Island, New York was also a victim of scammers. But they didn’t know who she was dealing with. This woman is a law enforcement veteran—a former 911 dispatcher, to be exact—so she knows exactly what a scam looks like.
Jean was texting with her son, when a man claiming to be her grandson called her. The man claimed he was being held for DUI and was taken to jail.
The problem was that Jean doesn’t have a grandson old enough to drive. That’s when she knew she was being conned.
“I knew he was a real scammer. I just knew he wasn’t going to scam me,” she told CBS News. “It took about three hours of back-and-forth phone calls, maybe 15 phone calls.”
Jean decided to play along with the swindler despite her family’s objections.
The con man took the lie even further by hiring another man to pose as Jean’s fake grandson’s lawyer, who told her he needed $8,000 in bail money.
“I told him I had the money in the house, and I figured, he’s not going to fall for that. Well, he fell for that hook, line, and sinker,” Jean said.
Meanwhile, the grandma with seven children called the police.
Jean was confronted by a man who claimed to be a bail bondsman and showed up at Jean’s door with a bag containing paper towels. The man was arrested by waiting police officers.
Joshua Gomez of New York was identified as the suspect. He was charged in the third degree with attempted grand theft.
Jean claims that her 911 training taught Jean how to handle situations like these.
“You have to think quick. Multitasking is essential. I had to come up with why I had money in the house,” she explained.
Local authorities used the incident to remind residents that scams against senior citizens are on the rise.
“Speak to your families. Talk to your neighbors. Visit those who are vulnerable. Let them know, don’t listen to these scams. These individuals sit at home and have nothing else to do but think of a way to take advantage of our elderly,” Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said.
Jean also believes the elderly should be more careful about the people they’re talking to. She hopes her story will be a cautionary tale.
“I feel like gotcha, and I feel like, like you say, so many people fall for this and you only hear about it on the other end after they’ve lost $8,000,” she said.
Although catching a criminal can surely give you a great sense of accomplishment, it’s still best to leave this dangerous job to law enforcement professionals. If you suspect a scammer, make sure to call the police and don’t arrange a rendezvous.
This granda trumps these thieves! This story is detailed in the video below.
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