'Grandparent Scam' Hits Radnor

RADNOR, TWP —A 19-year-old York man was arrested for his alleged involvement in a scam targeting the elderly by telephone, asking for money claiming a family member was in an accident, according to police.

Christopher Mauricio would tell the elderly person on the telephone that his or her relative was in a car accident and needed money immediately to be released from custody, police said.

Mauricio is free on bail awaiting an arraignment before District Judge Leon Hunter III, Newtown Square, on charges of theft, receiving stolen property, criminal use of a communication facility and conspiracy.

He is also awaiting formal arraignment in Montgomery County Court on charges of making bogus calls to the elderly in the Narberth area, according to court records.

Warning of increase in scams

Radnor police warn the community that the 'grandparent scams' are on the rise, and the public should be aware of what they are and not to fall victim to the scams.

The American Association of Retired Person, reports that during natural disasters such as hurricanes in the area with high populations of retirees a new variation of the'grandparent scams’ is emergin.

Younger relatives that put word out on social media that a loved one is missing may have been contacted by a scammer claiming to be the missing person and asking for money for a hotel.

According to the Federal Trade Commission in 2015 through the first quarter of 2020, the commissioner logged more than 91,000 reports of scammers posing as a relative or friend of the victim.

According to theFederal Communications Commission:

• Grandparents have a hard time saying ‘no’ to their grandchildren.
• Scammers gain access to their information through social media or cyber thieves.
• The scammer impersonates a grandchild in a crisis situation.
• The best advice if this happens is to hang up immediately.
• If you have a caller ID and you do not recognize a number, hang up immediately.
• Contact other family members or friends if you believe the emergency is real.
• Consumers can file a complaint with the FCC here.

Report suspicious to authorities by dialing 9-1-1.