Mountain View, we wanted to take a moment to remind you of a scam that has impacted a community member and may target others as well.
On March 8, officers met with a man in the front lobby of our department who stated he suspected he had fallen victim to the grandparent scam. These scams are known to target elderly individuals where a suspect will call a grandparent and tell them a grandchild is in a crisis situation. The caller will then ask the grandparent for immediate
financial help. Sometimes, the callers even spoof the caller ID to make a call that appears to be coming from a trusted family member or friend.
We have exhausted all leads at this time and are now reaching out to our community for possible assistance.
In our case, the caller arranged for someone to drive to the man’s home and collect more than $20,000 in payment. The caller, whom the victim stayed on the phone with while he provided the money to the driver of the car, then stated they needed additional funds because the situation appeared more serious than they had originally conveyed. The victim became suspicious and hung up the phone. The driver of the car, who was not the same individual as the caller, left in an unknown direction.
The victim came to the department and is currently working with investigators. Detectives believe there could be additional victims and are asking anyone who may have experienced a scam like this to please come forward.
Please, always use caution if you are being pressured for information or to send money quickly. Scammers often try to bully victims into transferring money through a mobile payment app, by wiring money, or by purchasing gift cards or money orders. Some may even request to meet to receive money in person. If you get a call like this, hang up and report it immediately to us.
Learn more about how to protect yourself from scams
here.
Anyone who may have any further information on the suspects, or who may be victims, can contact Detective Jacob Cesena at Jacob.cesena@mountainview.gov.
