News Releases

Friendship Heights Area Residents Warned of Telephone Scam

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Recently, officers from the 2nd District have responded to several incidents in the Friendship Heights area involving a telephone scam.

In these incidents, residents (generally elderly residents) are contacted by telephone by a suspect stating that he or she is the victim's grandson/granddaughter.  The caller states that he/she has been arrested or has been involved in an accident in Mexico or Canada.  The victim is then asked to send money to the "grandchild" and also told not to contact the "grandchild's" mother or father.  The victim is told to send the money quickly and given a bank account number into which to deposit the money.  Approximately five of these incidents have occurred since mid-October, and in two of the incidents, the victim has provided money in the amount of $2000 to the suspects.

Based on the above incidents, police are reminding all residents to verify the identity of anyone who contacts them via telephone.  Obtain a telephone number from the caller, and tell the caller that you will return his or her call.  Do not provide bank account numbers over the phone, and do not send money to anyone you do not know.  Most importantly, if you feel that you have been the victim of a scam, contact police.  Your report to the police is oftentimes the only way that police know that such incidents are occurring.

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Release ID: 12-304
Media Contact: mcpnews 
Categories: blog