Scam targets grandparents

Published 11:28 pm Friday, January 23, 2015

Detectives are warning of a scam in the area targeting the elderly.

Murray County Sheriff’s Office Detective Brett Morrison said officials there have had a couple of reports recently of someone making phone calls, pretending to work at the jail and telling people that their grandchild is in jail after being caught in a car that was hauling drugs. They tell the person that they will release their grandchild from jail if a fine is paid.

Morrison said the caller is asking people to purchase pre-loaded credit cards such as Greendot or Netspend, then put money on the card and call in the card number over the phone.

Morrison said one person put $2,500 on a card and another person put $3,000 on a card.

Morrison said there are no suspects right now as it is hard to trace where the money went.

“There’s no way to find out who did, or who got the money, because it’s like cash,” Morrison said.

Morrison said the Murray County jail does not accept payments for fines or bonds over the phone and that if someone is contacted to do so, they should hang up.

“We would warn people that if you wouldn’t send cash to this person over the phone, you certainly don’t want to give them any card information,” he said.

Capt. Rick Swiney with the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office said there have been no reports of this scam at that sheriff’s office but that he has seen this scam hitting people all over the country.

Swiney said it happens a lot over spring break and people tend to target grandparents.

Swiney said the Whitfield County jail does not ask for or accept any payments for fines over the phone.

“If they get a call like that, call the agency where the relative is supposed to be and verify he is in custody before sending money like that,” Swiney said.