Canal Fulton police on Monday reported that an elderly woman reported losing $22,500 in a telephone scam.
Police in a Facebook post described the woman as being “very distraught.”
A man called saying that her grandson was stopped for a traffic violation en route to Florida and was found to be in possession of marijuana and needed $4,000 for bond, police said.
The woman spoke to a male claiming to be her grandson on the phone. The male asked the victim not to tell “Mom” because he intended to.
The woman was directed to purchase $4,000 in iTunes gift cards, which she did. She called the telephone caller back and gave him the gift card numbers.
The next day, the woman was called again. Her grandson, she was told, was due in court and needed $5,000 for an attorney. She purchased more iTunes cards.
The next day, the caller said her grandson needed to transported back to Ohio and a federal agent had to transport him. She again provided $6,000.
On Monday, the caller told the woman that her grandson had fallen in the airport, broken his leg and needed surgery. She was asked to send $7,500, which she did.
At this point, the victim called her daughter, who said the grandson was working and not in Florida.
She told police that clerks at the store where she purchased the iTunes cards advised that she was being scammed, but she said she had spoken to her grandson and was insistent, police said.