Lincoln Police say an elderly couple lost $23,000 in a scam that involved someone posing as a relative. LPD Public Information Manager Erika Thomas says the 86-year-old man and 89-year-old woman called police on Tuesday after getting a call from someone claiming to be their grandson, who attends UNL. The caller said he had gotten into an accident and was being cited for it.
“Soon after, the couple received a call from a person claiming to be the grandson’s lawyer saying money was needed for bail,” Thomas says. “The couple withdrew $23,000 cash from their bank account and gave it to a courier who came to pick it up.”
The couple received more calls on Tuesday and realized it was a scam. “This is a good time to remind people to please have conversations with your elderly loved ones about these types of scams and to always verify the identity of anyone claiming to be a family member or from a financial or legal institution,” Thomas says.