Police warn of 'emergency scam' after elderly woman nearly lost $10K

Bank teller saves potential scam victim

FOX 13’s Briona Arradondo spoke with Clearwater police about how a vigilant bank teller stopped an 89-year-old woman from losing nearly $10,000 to scammers.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - An elderly woman almost lost nearly $10,000 to a scam that pulled at her heartstrings, and Clearwater police warned Thursday it could happen to anyone.

Clearwater police said an 89-year-old woman became a target on Feb. 1 when she received a phone call from who she thought was a lawyer, informing her that her grandson had been in an accident and he needed cash. Officers said she went to the bank to withdraw $9,500.

What they're saying:

"She got to the bank with a ride-share app. There was a person who was hired by the bad guy, wherever the bad guy was or is, hired a ride-share person to pick her up at her house, take her to the bank and take her home," said Rob Shaw, a spokesperson with Clearwater Police Department.

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When she arrived at the Achieva Credit Union on Drew St., officers said the teller was sharp and knew something was off.

"The bank asked, ‘Would you like a check?’ [She said] ‘No, it needs to be cash and it’s for a lawyer.’ So that kind of raises their antenna thankfully, and they called us," said Shaw. "We actually had a sergeant who had been nearby who got the call and got to the bank and pinned in that car in case that was the actual suspect."

Clearwater police say an alert teller at Achieva Credit Union on Drew St. stopped an 89-year-old woman from losing nearly $10,000 to scammers.

Experts said the "emergency" scam is all too common.

"So, this used to be called a grandparent scam. It used to be a scam specific to older people, but now they are seeing they can target younger people and change up the scam type," said Bryan Oglesby, the director of public relations with the Better Business Bureau of West Florida.

By the numbers:

The BBB of West Florida said people lose $900 on average to those types of scams, and they are designed to make you feel pressure.

"That’s how scammers operate. They play on those emotions. They tug on those heart strings, and then they get you to act now," said Oglesby.

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Thankfully, the emergency wasn't real.

"We contacted relatives to make sure that the grandson who was in Michigan was okay. Everything was fine there," said Shaw.

What you can do:

Police urge the community to call them like the bank teller did if you think something is suspicious.

"Let us look into it. If it’s legit, we can figure that out," said Shaw.

Clearwater police said they’re seeing an uptick in those types of impostor scams. Experts urge everyone to stop and think about what’s being asked of you. The BBB said some families even have code words to make sure relatives aren’t being impersonated for scams.

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The Source: Information for this story was collected by FOX 13's Briona Arradondo.

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