Hearing about scammers targeting vulnerable parents or grandparents is deeply unsettling, especially when they’ve cared for us with love and sacrifice throughout our lives. For many of us, showing gratitude includes helping them navigate today’s technology.
Sadly, scammers recently deceived an elderly man in California, tricking him out of $25,000 in a cruel scam. The victim, referred to as Anthony to protect his privacy, received a call from someone pretending to be his ‘son,’ claiming he had been involved in a car accident, hitting a pregnant woman, and needed money for bail.
Anthony told ABC 7, “It sounded exactly like his voice. There was no doubt.” The scammer had used AI to imitate his son’s voice. Shortly after, another call came from someone posing as his ‘son’s lawyer,’ urging Anthony to immediately gather $9,200 to prevent his son from spending 45 days in jail.
Although suspicious, Anthony went to the bank to withdraw the money, unable to contact his real son at the time. His daughter then stepped in to help. The scammer told them an Uber would pick up the money, providing vehicle details. When the Uber arrived and matched the description, they handed over the cash.
Later, another ‘lawyer’ called, claiming the pregnant woman had died and demanded an additional $15,800 to $25,000. After following the same process, Anthony grew more concerned when he didn’t hear about his son’s release.
His daughter, after researching online, told him, “Dad, I hope I’m wrong. I think you’ve just been scammed out of $25,000.” LAPD detective Chelsea Saeger explained that scammers often record victims’ voices during these calls, noting, “They call, and if you answer, there’s often silence.”