Scammers have stolen thousands from a local victim and tried to con several more into sending them their hard-earned money in a scam targeting seniors.

“They tell them their grandchild has been in a wreck and arrested and that they need money for an attorney,” revealed Sheriff Patrick Ray regarding the phone scam that has prompted several reports in DeKalb County alone. “They have the victim put money on cards like a Walmart or Google card and then they have them read them the number and passcode over the phone. They then withdraw the money from the card immediately.”

The sheriff said that unfortunately at least one victim has lost thousands of dollars from the scam.

“Some others caught on and didn’t send any money,” the sheriff said, but in the case of one victim, the money is likely gone forever with no recourse. “They are doing this from outside the United States so there’s nothing that can be done to recover the money.”

The sheriff said the best rule of thumb is to hang up on the caller and immediately contact the sheriff’s office, noting the callers can be very convincing.