The scammers told their victims the money was needed to free a relative from jail in the Dominican Republic.
WESTFIELD - Telephone scammers using the same ploy -- telling the victim that a family member had been arrested in the Dominican Republic -- convinced an elderly man and woman to fork over about $10,000 and $5,000, respectively in separate incidents here.
In both of the scams, a man claiming to be a police officer from the Dominican Republic said that money was necessary to secure the release of the family member, Lt. Hipolito Nunez said.
In the most recent case, reported Monday afternoon, the scammer told the male victim that his granddaughter had been arrested. The scammer then put on a female on the phone who pretended to be her.
The victim wired a total of about $10,000 in two installments to the scammers via Western Union, Nunez said.
In the first instance, reported last week, a caller told the female victim that her son was in jail in the Dominican Republic and she wired about $5,000.
The woman realized it was a scam after she contacted her son and determined that he was okay and hadn’t even been in the Dominican Republic, Nunez said.
Police, along with Western Union, continue to probe both cases.
“We have to do a follow-up to see where this is going,” Nunez said.
This type of scam has become increasingly common. However, Nunez said, it is the first time that he has been aware of it occurring in Westfield.
People receiving calls from somebody claiming to be a police officer and seeking money for a relative’s release should try to record the incoming number before hanging up. They should then attempt to contact the relative in question and call police, Nunez said.