On October 22, 2012 a Springettsbury Township resident received a phone call from a subject that claimed that the resident’s grandson had been involved in a vehicle accident in the Philippines and was currently in a holding cell. The caller told the resident that the grandson would be held until $2000.00 was received to pay for the property damage that resulted from the accident. The caller told them they could send the money via Western Union to take care of the damages. The caller then placed a male subject on the phone that pretended to be the grandson, asking for his grandparents to help him and pay for the damage.
The caller called back a short time later and claimed to be an attorney, telling them that he would assist them with the payment/release of the grandson, once the money is paid.
The grandparents realized that the person they spoke to was not their grandson and questioned the caller about his credentials. The caller hung up.
This is a common scam used against the elderly. The best advice is Do Not send money to anyone that you do not personally know. Once money is sent via Western Union, the money can be picked up anywhere in the world with a photo ID and will not necessarily end up going to the city you think you are sending it.
If anyone has further questions they can contact the Springettsbury Police.
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