A recent increase in scam activity throughout the summer has targeted the elderly. Simpson County resident Mary Gene Padgett reported a recent scam attempt on an older lady. Padgett said the woman received a call from an individual claiming to be her grandson. The caller stated that he was in jail for running a stop sign and striking another vehicle. The elderly woman said her grandson’s name and the caller assumed his identity. According to Padgett, he instructed the woman to wire him $4,000 to post bail and gave her a list of places in the county that provided these services.
Luckily Padgett was available to intervene. She said she recognized an accent and began asking the caller questions about his mother. The caller could not answer, and Padgett confronted him saying the call was a scam. She said, “After I told him he was a scammer he got mad and called me a few choice words and hung up.”
The number in question was 877-331-7151. Padgett has since reported the number to the Attorney General. Any citizens who receive such calls are encouraged to report them the Attorney General’s Office for further investigation.
