Elderly Woman Loses $1,876 in Phone Scam

An elderly woman reported to the Huntington Woods Public Safety Department on Dec. 7 that she was the victim a phone scam.

The woman, whom the reporting officer noted was accompanied by her adult son, said that approximately 8 p.m. Dec. 6, a man claiming to be her grandson called her home phone. The man asked her to send his attorney money because he had been involved in an accident in the Philippines and instructed her not to contact his father, according to the report.

[Click here to read Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette's warning about phone scams.]

The woman wired $1,876 via Western Union to the address the man claiming to be her grandson provided, the report said. The man called her back the next day and asked the woman to send another $1,755; however, her son told the officer that he was aware of the fraud at that point and had confirmed his son was not involved in an accident and was not in the Philippines, according to the report.

The woman did not send any more money, the report said.

Residents or business owners who have information to report or who notice something unusual in their neighborhood can call the Berkley Public Safety Department at 248-658-3380 or the Huntington Woods Public Safety Department at 248-541-1180. Public Safety officials encourage residents and business owners to keep their doors and windows secured at all times.