Cullman Police are warning locals to be cautious of any calls that claim to be from family members asking for money to be wired to them, as authorities have received the first report of a new phone scam making the rounds in the area.
Cullman Police Chief Kenny Culpepper said his department received a report this week of an attempted scam on an elderly woman, with someone calling claiming to be her grandson.
The would-be scammer claimed to have been arrested, and in need of several thousand dollars to be wired for release.
Luckily, the local citizen decided to check out the story and called her grandson’s phone number once the original call concluded.
“She called her grandson looking for additional information, and he said it wasn’t him that had called,” Culpepper said. “Especially if it’s a grandchild that doesn’t live close by, if the scammer knows the name and calls, it could be hard for them to pick on the difference in the voice. You have to remember, these are professional con artists.”
Culpepper said he encourages anyone who receives a similar call to check with family members to make sure the request is legitimate.
“Do everything you can to be sure the person is who they claim to be,” he said. “Verify it with the parents, or if you have their correct number, call the person to make sure it is them. Never wire money to anyone unless you are 100 percent sure of their identity.”
The “grandparents” story is a new twist locally on the usual slate of scams, and Culpepper said his office is still getting scattered reports of sweepstakes and lottery scams.
“We encourage everyone to be very, very cautious,” he said.
* Trent Moore can be reached by e-mail at trentm@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 220.
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