Phone Scammers Targeting Pinellas Residents

The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about telephone scammers that seem to be targeting local elderly residents.

While this scam isn’t new, investigators say the bad guys have been hitting Pinellas County heavily as of late. The scam involves callers who say they are a relative of the victim or someone who knows a relative.

“The caller is careful to not initially mention a specific person’s name, instead engages the victim as if they are the victim’s grandchild or similar type relative,” an email from the sheriff’s office said. “Eventually the confused victim will mention their relative’s name while trying to gather additional information.”

The scammers tell victims their relative has been in an accident, has gotten arrested or needs to pay fines, among other tall tales, the sheriff’s office said.

“The caller will ask for the money to be sent to distant locations, some times out of the county,” the sheriff’s office said. The bad guys then use a runner with a fake identification to pick up the money, or work with shady merchants to avoid getting caught.

If a call like this is received, detectives ask residents to verify the person’s identity before sending money. They can talk to another relative, speak with law enforcement or turn to another trusted source for advice before sending money.

Anyone who has been victimized by this scam is asked to call Det. Bingham of the Economic Crimes Unit at 727-582-6200.

Photo Credit: Image via Shutterstock