A Whitehall Borough resident from the Steeplechase townhomes area contacted police at around 10 a.m. on Sunday to report a scam, Whitehall police Chief Donald R. Dolfi said.
The victim said that she received a call on Thursday from someone claiming to be her grandson. The supposed grandson said that he was in Brazil, where he had recently damaged a rental car, and that if his grandmother did not wire him $3,800, he would be taken to jail.
"Obviously, the victim was greatly concerned for the grandson," Dolfi said, and she decided to send the money.
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Then, on Friday, the woman received a similar call asking for another $4,400. She did not send the money in that instance, contacting police instead, who told her that she had been victimized by an impersonator.
"This is a scam that has surfaced previously," Dolfi said, "and we want to make people aware.
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"It is out there."
Read through other Whitehall police items here.
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