73-YEAR-OLD WOMAN FROM LONG ISLAND BRILLIANTLY OUTSMARTS SCAMMERS

You have to hustle the hustler sometimes. When someone attempted to defraud 73-year-old grandmother Jean of $8,000, she did just that. She got a call from someone posing as her grandchild when she was at her house on Long Island. He claimed that after being arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, he was phoning her from prison. That money was necessary for her grandson to post bail.

The main issue? The grandkids of Jean are not yet old enough to drive. She chose to reverse the situation after realising right away that this was a scam. "I was aware that he was a true con artist. Jean remarked, "I immediately knew he wasn't going to con me."

Jean decided to comply. One of the several phone calls was from a person claiming to be her grandson's attorney, who also reaffirmed that he would require the $8,000 for the bond. I assumed he wouldn't believe me when I told him I had the money in the house. Jean responded, "Well, he fell for that hook, line, and sinker."

An apparent bail bondsman eventually arrived at her home to collect the money as a result of the calls. It was a set-up, though. The police jumped on the man as soon as Jean gave him an envelope filled with paper towels.

All of this was made possible by Jean's prompt action following her initial interaction with the fraudster. She texted her best friend and daughter, who both work at a 911 call center, while she was answering the calls. After they informed the authorities of the situation, two officers showed up at Jean's house and took the suspect into custody.

Jean thwarted a typical swindle that preys on the elderly population. In order to target the elderly, scammers will pose as representatives of the IRS or tech support. They also succeed. A 2020 report released by the FBI revealed that elder fraud schemes cost victims over 60 years of age around $1 billion.

Jean thinks her story of conniving the con artist would serve as a "cautionary tale" for others. "I feel like gotcha," she clarified, "and I feel like, as you say, so many people fall for this and you just hear about it after they've lost eight thousand dollars."