VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Police are warning about a new phone scam making its rounds in Hampton Roads. News 3 caught up with one Virginia Beach woman who fell victim, losing $24,000.
On Nov. 21, Kay, who did not provide her last name for anonymity reasons, said she got a call from someone claiming to be her daughter-in-law. She said she needed to be bailed out of jail.
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"I just picked up the phone and answered it, I didn't look at anything else," Kay said. "She just chit-chatted with me for a few minutes, and she said 'I have some bad news.' I said 'what?' And she said 'I've been in an accident, and I hit a lady and she was pregnant'. She said 'they've taken my cell phone,' and then she said 'we're going to have a 3-way call and I'm going to put my lawyer on the phone'."
But the phone call wasn't from her daughter-in-law. It was actually from someone posing as her, and Kay tells News 3 their voices sounded similar. Kay said it was someone posing as a lawyer and bail bondsman.
"She said 'if you post the bail, we will let her out of jail today, and you can do it two ways. She can be under house arrest for one amount, or she can come up right now,' and the price went up for each one," said Kay.
The caller, who posed as a lawyer claimed Kay's daughter-in-law would be released when Kay paid a bail bondsman. So, she walked out of her home and met a man at St. Nicholas Church giving him her entire life's savings.
"I didn't feel any bit suspicious until he told me to walk out of my house," Kay said.
Kay put $24,000, in cash, into the hands of someone claiming to be a bail bondsman. After this Kay was told her daughter-in-law would be released.
The money, now gone, could've gone to some pressing medical concerns.
"My husband has had a stroke, he's getting ready to have surgery, so my nerves are shot," said Kay.
Kay is now on high alert.
"They know where I live, they know my phone number, so who's to say they're not going to come back," she said.
But this situation is just happening in Virginia Beach. Newport News police said they have even seen more incidents lately.
Newport News police told News 3 said anytime you get a suspicious-sounding call, take time to sure the story you're told is true.
Kay is sharing a message to the people who she said ripped her off.
"Think how you would feel if it was your mother," she said. "Think how you would feel if you took all of her savings," said Kay.
Police are offering these tips to prevent you from being a victim of a scheme like the one above.
- Ask for their name, business and phone number
- Verify what jail they're in and who made the arrest
- Contact your loved one or someone close to them to verify the story.
- Don't use any information given by the caller.
