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SAYING THERE'S AN
EMERGENCY, AND A
FAMILY MEMBER
NEEDS MONEY FAST.
LIZ
THAT'S EXACTLY
WHAT'S HAPPENING TO
ELDERLY PEOPLE IN
OUR AREA.. THE
PROBLEM IS.. THE
CALLER, ISN'T A
RELATIVE AT ALL.
2SHOT
LIZ
GOOD EVENING, I'M
LIZ QUIRATES..
CURT
I'M CURT FONGER..
MORE THAN A DOZEN
VICTIMS IN FLORIDA
AND OTHER STATES
FALLING PREY TO
CONVINCING THIEVES
POSING AS
GRANDCHILDREN IN
DESPERATE NEED OF
MONEY.
LIZ
CBS 12'S LYNN
GORDON SPOKE
EXCLUSIVELY TO ONE
BOYNTON BEACH MAN
WHO GOT TAKEN FOR
MORE THAN FIVE-
THOUSAND DOLLARS.
TRT:1:41
" PHONE RINGS -- PICKS
UP SAYS HELLO"
IT STARTED WITH A
SIMPLE PHONE CALL
ONE MORNING LAST
MONTH. A
WOMAN TELLING 87-
YEAR OLD WILLIAM
RICHERT HIS
GRANDSON HAD
BEEN ARRESTED IN
CANADA , AND HE
NEEDED 27-HUNDRED
DOLLARS TO GET OUT.
CG=WILLIAM
RICHERT/PHONE SCAM
VICTIM
" SHE WAS VERY
CONVINCING ON THE
PHONE."
" IT WAS VERY SMOOTH
AND VERY GULLIBLE FOR
ANY ELDERLY MAN OR
WOMAN."
BELIEVING HIS
GRANDSON WAS IN
TROUBLE , RICHERT
IMMEDIATELY
WITHDREW MONEY
FROM HIS SAVINGS
ACCOUNT AND WIRED
IT WESTERN UNION TO
THE ADDRESS HE WAS
GIVEN.
BUT THE SCAM DIDN'T
STOP THERE, THE NEXT
DAY RICHERT RECEIVED
ANOTHER
CALL -- THIS TIME THE
WOMAN REQUESTING
MORE MONEY FOR
ATTORNEY'S FEES.
" SO I SENT ANOTHER 2700
DOLLARS TO A DIFFERENT
WESTERN UNION"
IN ALL , RICHERT GOT
TAKEN FOR NEARLY
SIX-THOUSAND
DOLLARS -- BUT HE
ISN'T ALONE.
BOYNTON BEACH
POLICE SAY MORE
THAN A HALF DOZEN
PEOPLE HAVE
REPORTED
RECEIVING SIMILAR
PHONE CALLS. ROSALIE
ADAMS IS ONE OF
THEM -- BUT
FORTUNATELY SHE
REALIZED IT WAS A
SCAM.
CG=ROSALIE
ADAMS/RECEIVED
PHONE CALL
" THANK GOD I WASN'T
FOOLED AND IT'S A SHAME
IT'S HAPPENING TO
PEOPLE
THAT ARE NOT AWARE OF
THIS."
NOW BOYNTON BEACH
POLICE PLAN TO AIR A
PUBLIC SERVICE
ANNOUNCEMENT
ON THE CITY'S CABLE
CHANNEL -- TO WARN
SENIORS ABOUT THE
SCAM.
CG=STEPHANIE
SLATER/BOYNTON
BEACH POLICE DEPT
" THEY'RE TARGETING THE
ELDERLY, PREYING ON
THEM BECAUSE MOST
GRANDPARENTS WOULD
DO ANYTHING FOR THEIR
GRANDCHILDREN , SO
THEY'RE USING THAT
ANGLE TO STEAL
MONEY FROM THEM."
A SCAM WILLIAM
RICHERT WISHES HE
HAD NEVER FALLEN
FOR.
" I'M ANGRY AT MYSELF
TOO. YOU JUST FEEL LIKE
YOU SHOULD HAVE
KNOWN BETTER?
THAT'S RIGHT."
POLICE SAY
SCAMMERS ARE
GATHERING INFO
ABOUT THEIR VICTIMS
FROM
SOCIAL MEDIA AND
OTHER INTERNET
SITES.
SOME TIPS TO PROTECT
YOURSELF AGAINST
THIS TYPE IF SCAM..
FIRST VERIFY THE
CALLER IS YOUR
GRANDCHILD. DO NOT
GIVE
OUT INFORMATION
OVER THE PHONE.
AND MOST
IMPORTANTLY DO NOT
SEND MONEY TO
PEOPLE YOU DON'T
KNOW. IF YOU GET A
SUSPICIOUS PHONE
CALL, GET THE
NUMBER
FROM CALLER I-D AND
CALL POLICE.
IN THE STUDIO, LYNN
GORDON CBS 12 NEWS.
CURT