Letter To The Editor: Senior Citizen Alert

Seniors, beware of phone scam

Senior Citizens should be aware of a common telephone scam that is being perpetrated on our age group!

Before moving to Bonners Ferry I was attending a Senior Art Class, when my 82 year old friend received a phone call, supposedly from her grandson who was making a film in Canada. He said he had gotten drunk and was thrown in jail. Consequentially, he needed $8,000 wired to him immediately by Western Union. Therefore, my friend left class and withdrew the $8,000 from the Credit Union and headed to Western Union to send him the cash. Fortunately, the Credit Union Manager knew it was a scam and was able to catch up with her at Western Union, before she sent the money. They then went to the police department, and were told they were aware of the scam, but there was little they could do about it. The police did say that they “prey” on seniors, after they look up the senior age and immediate family.

Shortly thereafter, I too received a phone call from a young adult posing as my grandson. I immediately knew the voice on the other end was not his, so I asked him “Who is this?”

He replied: “Grandma are you having a senior moment and don’t know your own grandson’s voice?”

With that, I hung up. A few days later, someone called posing as our son-in-law, but I was “on to them.”

Yesterday, I received a call in Bonners Ferry, saying, “Hi Mom, this is your son, Tom; but we only have daughters. Again, the scam artist said: “Are you crazy that you don’t you recognize your own son’s voice. I asked him where he lived and also asked him where he worked; thankfully he hung up!

This fraudulent widespread scam is going all over the nation, so please be aware!

Audrey Byrer

Bonners Ferry