Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office Warns of Phone Scam Targeting Elderly

If you get a call instructing you to send money to get your grandchild out of jail, be wary. You could be the target of a phone scam that is being reported in Black Hawk County.

The Sheriff's Office said it received two similar reports on Jan. 11 in which a victim received a phone call stating their granddaughter had been arrested in another country. The victim was instructed to send $1,874 via Western Union to pay for legal fees or else their grandchild would remain in jail for 30 to 45 days.

Deputy Tony Meyer said one woman said she spoke to a person who claimed to be her granddaughter, but when the woman protested it didn't sound like her granddaughter, the suspect stated she had a cold and stuffed nose, which is why her voice sounded different. The woman later spoke to her granddaughter, who was at work and not out of the country.

The Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office urges the public not to give out personal information over the phone and not to send money orders if they receive a similar phone call. The Sheriff's Office has received numerous similar reports in the last few years that appear to be targeting elderly citizens.