Another Elmhurst Grandparent Scammed Out of Thousands of Dollars

For the second time in about a month, an Elmhurst resident has fallen victim to scam artists preying on the love grandparents have for their grandchildren.

Between 10 a.m. Dec. 16 and 4 p.m. Dec. 17, a resident of the 600 block of South Prospect shelled out $5,160 to someone claiming to be her 13-year-old grandson. The victim received a call from a person she believed to be her grandson, who stated he was in Mexico and had been arrested for possession of marijuana, according to Elmhurst police. The caller told the grandmother he needed $1,300 for bail.

Over the course of four phone calls, the victim was convinced to send a total of $5,160 to the suspects via Western Union. An employee at Western Union did eventually advice the grandmother that she was probably being scammed, and also stopped short of transferring an additional $1,400 the woman was told to transfer. The agent advised her to go to the police.

The victim called her daughter and learned that her grandson was not in Mexico.

In mid-November, another Elmhurst resident sent more than $14,000 to thieves in Canada claiming to be his grandson. The caller had the grandparent believing the boy was in jail in Canada for DUI.