LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Police Department has issued an alert about fraudulent phone calls targeting senior citizens, and are urging residents not to respond to these types of calls. A report was filed with police over the weekend about a
LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Police Department has issued an alert about fraudulent phone calls targeting senior citizens, and are urging residents not to respond to these types of calls.
A report was filed with police over the weekend about a 73-year-old woman who received a call from a man claiming to be her eldest grandson, a county news release states.
The caller told the woman that he was in trouble and needed bail money because he had been arrested in Canada.
The elderly woman responded by withdrawing $1,700 from her bank account and mailing it to the address the caller had given her.
When the woman informed her daughter about the call, the daughter told her that it was a hoax and that her eldest grandson was not in trouble nor was he in Canada, the release states.
On Monday, the woman received another call from the same person, asking her if she had mailed the money.
Kaua‘i police contacted the Royal Mounted Canadian Police to seek assistance on this case, and was informed that this type of phone scam has numbered in the thousands in Canada.
To report a fraudulent call or any suspicious behavior, call Police Dispatch at 241-1711.
