On 8/13/16, the Toledo Police Department was contacted by a victim of the “Grandparent Scam.” The victim had been told a grandchild had been arrested, needed ten thousand dollars in cash for bail, and was under a gag order. The victim had mailed the money before contacting the Toledo Police Department. Once notified, Toledo officers contacted FedEx and had the receiving address flagged.
On 9/7/16, The Toledo Police department was able to return the ten thousand dollars to the victim. It is unclear if the package with the money was returned by an honest citizen at the residence, or if it was a result of FedEx flagging the residence as being used for scams. Though the money was able to be recovered, please remember a few safety tips to protect yourself from any future phone scams.
First, the police will never request cash to be mailed, gift cards, or money to be wired to them by Western Union. Secondly, always call your local Police Department if you are contacted by anyone stating they have arrested a family member and are requesting information or money from you. Finally, if you realize you are a victim of a phone scam contact your local Police Department as soon as possible.
