Tallahassee: An 82-year-old Florida woman lost over $700,000 in a ‘grandparent scam’. The scammers in question convinced the elderly that her granddaughter was in legal trouble and needed financial help, local media reported.
According to the media reports, the victim received a call from a young woman claiming to be her granddaughter. She said that she had been in a car accident and needed money to get out of jail. Then a man who claimed to be the granddaughter’s lawyer took the phone and spoke to the woman.
They then led her to withdraw cash from her bank, which she then handed over to the scammers. Rideshare apps, like Uber, have been used to set up outings for women to get to and from the bank, Tampa Bay Times reported.
According to the woman’s lawyer, the scammers told her to tell anyone at the bank who inquired about the withdrawals that it was for home improvement.
The suspects apparently used Uber to pick up and drop off. Authorities hope Uber’s account holder records will help them track down the suspects.
It is reported that a lawsuit was allegedly filed against the victim’s bank, claiming it was negligent to allow her to continue making several major withdrawals over a long period of time.