San Luis Obispo County, CA -- The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office is warning you of a scam that several local law enforcement agencies have reported. The “grandparent scam” targets elderly people from a telephone caller who claims to be a grandchild having an emergency. The caller says they need money to help them out of a dire situation, like posting bail.
Recently, a scammer called a local woman, pretending to be her granddaughter. She said she was in a Dominican Republic jail and needed money. The concerned grandmother wired the requested $5,000. But the scammers then said the money was received, but too late, and they’d need more to get her out of jail. The local grandmother became suspicious and contacted authorities to learn her granddaughter was safe in the U.S. and that the call was a scam.
The DA’s Office warns you not to wire money to people you don’t know. For more information, contact the District Attorney's Office Economic Crime Unit at 781-5896.