An elderly couple of Winneshiek County fell victim to the Grandparent Scam on December 17 and lost $15,000. The scammers drove to their residence under the guise of a “courier” and took possession of $15,000 in cash. The Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office took several additional reports of this scheme where the victims detected the scam, and no money was lost. It is suspected that there are more households that have fallen victim to this scam that have not yet been reported.
The scam goes something like the following: The scammers have an elaborate story about an adult grandchild or other loved one being involved in a vehicle accident with a pregnant lady. The story is that their grandchild has been texting and driving when the accident occurred and was subsequently charged and taken to jail. The scammers pose as law enforcement officials, attorneys and the victims grandchild. The scammer posing as the grandchild claims to be being mistreated by law enforcement and emphasizes the need for urgency with the bond money to get them out of jail. The scammers are very persistent and demanding. Furthermore, the scammers insist the victims are under a gag order and cannot report or discuss the situation with anyone.
This is a very common scam that the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office has previously warned of that people continue to fall victim to and lose money. This most recent scam does seem to target landline phones. The best way to prevent these scams from happening is by making others aware. Please share these details.
This case remains under investigation and the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office continues to pursue any leads.