A local resident stopped by the office Tuesday to tell me that someone had tried to scam her. She caught on to the deception before anything happened but she wanted other residents to be aware of the event.

The victim received a call March 14 from someone on the other end who asked, “Grandma?” She immediately knew something wasn’t right because her children and grandchildren have specific nicknames for the victim and her mother who lives with her. The victim said she doesn’t remember if she asked if the caller was her son or the caller identified himself as such but the scammer then tried to convince the victim that he was her son. It didn’t sound like him but she wasn’t sure.

The victim was told her son was in an accident the night before — rear-ended a rental car of foreigners — and now they wanted more than $4,000 in restitution. The kicker was the “son” said he had been drinking. If he wanted the accident taken off his record, his “mother” needed to come up with cash to help him.

Well, our Marion resident knew at that point that something was awry because her son doesn’t drink but she wanted to hear more. She asked where her “son” was. “I don’t know,” the con artist answered.

The victim then was asked to hold on for 30 seconds to talk to a public defender, supposedly appointed to help her “son.” A Patrick Miller came on the line, telling the victim of her “son’s” plight. He asked if she was familiar with Western Union. At this point, the victim knew she was being scammed and asked the attorney what city his office was located and what bar association he belonged to. As the “public defender” stammered around, the victim said, she was going to check with her attorney before she did anything else.

And that’s what the victim did. She called her attorney and talked with his secretary who advised the victim to call law enforcement, which she did.

Believe or not, the victim received another call. The amount of the restitution had increased. The victim told the caller she knew he wasn’t her son and the caller hung up.

Scammers are able to obtain information — personal information — about us easily. As in other cases, the caller knew the name of the victim’s relative. Most of us would want to help a relative in a tough situation. Our initial response is to hurry up and do something to help. But the best thing we can do in situations like these is to step back, think about it, and make a phone call to family, an attorney, and to law enforcement.

— susan berg