ENGLEWOOD — An 86-year-old man nearly lost $10,000 in a bail scam before police stepped in.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 11:00, Engelwood police said the man got a phone call on Aug. 29 from an unknown person claiming to be his grandson.
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The caller said he had been arrested for a car accident involving a pregnant woman and needed $10,000 for bail.
Englewood Police Detective Tim Corcoran said this is a common tactic.
“They’ll call. They’ll talk real low. They’ll act like they’re crying and all in the hopes of pulling the emotions of the person they’re calling,” he said.
A second caller, posing as a court employee, told the man to give an envelope of $10,000 cash to a Lyft driver who would arrive at his home.
“No court system will ever call you and ask you for money over the phone,” Corcoran said.
The man believed the call, put the cash in an envelope, and gave it to the Lyft driver.
The driver didn’t know they were a part of a scam and drove the money to Cleveland.
The victim called authorities after the driver left.
“They got some camera footage. They were able to use various camera systems. Got a description of the vehicle. Was able to track down the registered owner of the vehicle,” Corcoran said.
Englewood police got a hold of the driver, explained the situation, and had them turn around.
“All of $10,000 was actually able to be returned, which is very rare for us,” Corcoran said.
Just a few weeks ago, a similar scam successfully targeted two people in Miami County.
Corcoran said he’s seen people lose up to $20,000 because of these scams.
The police department urges residents to stay vigilant against these kinds of scams.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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