Reader warns about 'Granny Scam'

Dear editor:

On Thursday, July 25, 2013, at 11:45 a.m., I received a phone call from my eldest grandson. I knew he had just returned from his third tour in the Middle East with the Army.

I was so excited about talking to him. About four sentences into the conversation, he said, "Grandma, I want to tell you something, but please don't tell anyone else." I agreed, thinking he was coming for a surprise visit or something.

He said, "I went with a buddy to test drive a truck he was thinking about buying. But my buddy was stopped for going 35 mph in a 25 mph zone. When the cops stopped him, they went through the truck and found three ounces of marijuana in the back. They took us to jail. I am now in a cell waiting to give a urine test and my lawyer says that I have to post bond for $1,800 or they are going to put me in maximum security."

I couldn't believe that anyone went to maximum security without a hearing -- or something, so I said, "Is your lawyer there?" My grandson put him on the phone and the guy said, "this is public defender, Arthur Hill." I asked about what was needed and the "lawyer" said, "your grandson was caught with three pounds of marijuana, not three ounces, and that is a felony in this state."

By this time I had recognized that something was suspicious, so I decided to play dumb and see what more I could find out.

I said, "I didn't realize that penalties were so drastic in GEORGIA." The guy responded that they are. Well, my grandson is stationed in North Carolina, so my suspicions were confirmed and I asked what I should do about the bond. He gave me the following explicit instructions:

1. Get $1,800 in cash. Go to Walmart and buy a MONEYGRAM. Do not use a check nor a credit card because the bonding company will not accept that as basis for payment.

2. Make the MONEYGRAM person-to-person to Francis Sidane (He's the head of the payments department) when you order the moneygram. They will ask you two questions: (a) Do you know Frances Sidane? (you answer yes); (b) Is this for a bond? (you answer, no, It is a personal transaction).

3. Have them send the moneygram (438) 931-7638.

I had told him to repeat each step slowly because I didn't understand. When he finished the directions, he told me that I had only a short time to do this because my grandson was going to be transferred within the next two hours. I said, "But I don't have $1,800 in cash and my husband is not here." (He was standing right next to me).

The lawyer asked, "Do you have the money in a checking account in the bank?" I said that we did. He then told me to go to the bank, withdraw the money and buy the moneygram. He said he would give me two hours to get to the bank, withdraw the funds, order the moneygram, and he would call me back when the time was up.

After we disconnected, I immediately called our local police department and explained what had happened. Within 30 minutes, Officer Nelson, with his ride-along civilian, was at my door. (Aren't we lucky to live in Mountain Home?).

I started to explain in detail what had happened and asked the officer if he wanted to write it down. He said, "That's OK. I'm recording it." When I finished, he explained that since I had not actually sent any money, then a true fraud had not been completed and there was nothing law enforcement could do.

He recommended that I document the whole episode and send copies to the police department, the newspaper and the Better Business Bureau, because this kind of fraud is now rampant and people need to know how these scam operators work.

After the officer left, I received a call from the "public defender" at 2:30 p.m. He asked if I had done as he asked to save my grandson. I said, "My husband said he needed to confirm this withdrawal from our account when I called him at his volunteer office."

The lawyer then said. "Okay, give me his number." I was half-way through giving him Officer Nelson's number when he hung up the phone.

My daughter, the mother of my grandson, told me later that one of her friends went through the same scam attempt. Oh, after Officer Nelson left, I called my grandson's wife just to make sure that everything was OK and told her about the first phone call. She said that he'd just left for a meeting and was so sorry that we'd been through this.

Please get this word out to people. Officer Nelson told me that even here in Mountain Home, elderly people have actually been taken in by this ruse and have LOST MORE MONEY than I could have lost this time.

This is really spooky stuff, and it seems so real. I could have sworn that the first voice on the phone was that of my grandson. He knew too much about us, and we have NEVER TEXTED, TWEETED, OR EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT USING FACEBOOK.

Beware.

-- Sandy Pitts