A July 18 call requesting $300 from an Oconto Falls resident is an example of a phone scam reported to the Oconto Falls Police Department. The caller, posing as a relative of the Oconto Falls resident, said he needed bail money for a drunken- driving incident.
According to Sgt. Corey Rank, officer in charge of the Oconto Falls Police Department, scam artists are calling the elderly on private or restricted lines so caller ID can’t identify the number. They typically will start by asking for Grandma or Grandpa and identify themselves as granddaughter or grandson. The scammer will say the grandchild was in an accident or got arrested and is in need of bail money.
The scammers then give instructions requiring the victim to go to a chain store such as Walmart, CVS, Walgreens or Dollar General and purchase green dot money packs in large amounts, like $500. The victim is directed to scratch off the back of the card to view the confirmation number of the cards purchased. The scammers say they will call back at a specific time to get the card number and confirmation number of the money pack.
Some scammers will put a “public defender” on the phone to convince the victim that their grandchild is really in trouble.
Rank advised residents that no law enforcement officer, attorney or jail will call and request any type of money in the form of green dot money packs. Also, officers never make people pay money at the scene of an accident before they will be released, and the Oconto County Jail takes only cash or credit card as payment for bail.
No legitimate financial institution will ask for an account number, pin number or full Social Security number over the telephone, he said.
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