Victim Location 14063
Type of a scam Family/Friend Emergency
Originating from 212 – 539- 0448 on Thursday 11:15am
A young man claiming to be our grandson called saying he had been in an auto accident needing cash bond of $2000. His “public defender” named “Richard Thompson” instructed us to purchase four $500 Wallmart gift cards and call back within an hour with the appropriate information from the cards. It sounded fake when he needed the money in Wallmart cards within an hour and claimed there was a “gag order” preventing release the name of the other person. I asked where that accident occurred and he told me Oak Hill – that’s near Nashville and miles from where out grandson would be driving to work.
Our grandson lives in Jonesborough, TN – fortunately we called his mother and both he and she were home at the time.
I didn’t call back at the appointed time so the fake public defender called me. I read him the riot act and suggested that the FBI would prpbably be at his door within hours. No harm it trying to scare him a a little.
It was a well rehearsed scam and they did possess information about our grandson that could only have been obtaining from FaceBook or similar media monitoring. My wife was ready to run over to Wallmart and get the cards if it would keep her “grandson” out of jail for the weekend.
Just thought we should report it