Letter to the Editor

Scammed

Posted

We were scammed! [Last Wednesday] morning our granddaughter called in tears. She had been in an accident. She was on the way to the doctor with strep throat and hit the back of a car. It was an off-duty policeman and his daughter. The daughter had a panic attack and may have broken her arm. An ambulance was called. She said she may have glanced at her phone and was at the police station.
She called us first because she knew we always answered our phone. She had been assigned a public defender and needed $4,000 for bail to get out that morning or she would lose her license. If she had not mentioned her phone they would not have had to press charges. Please don’t tell anyone else in the family. She gave the phone to the attorney who told us how to pay the bond quickly and also mentioned not calling anyone else. Did we have a Wal-Mart in Gonzales? Great! Go and get four $1,000 Google play cards and send the numbers. She gave us her office phone number. We called back and County Courthouse answered. We asked for “Angela Simmons.” She answered and said it was her office number. So…off to Wal-Mart we went. They only had $100 cards, we bought 40 of them, came home, and for some reason decided to call our granddaughter to check on her. She was at the office at work. She said she did not even have tonsils. Scammed!
Wal-Mart took the cards back after calling Central Office and much discussion. They were very accommodating, but did not like being part of a scam! Can you blame them? They suggested we go to the police and report it.
Have you ever been in the foyer of the police station? We talked to a mirror. It was crazy. I asked to speak to a human. “We need information first.” My husband gave it. I stepped aside. A very nice and polite policeman did come out, explained they never ask for money, etc., etc. My suggestion—call in your information about a problem.
Our granddaughter called her mother who called us and explained how “old people” are preyed upon. She then called the number and told them she was going to file suit on them. They hung up.
If this does happen to you—Call your child, grandchild, the victim and see what is going on. And call another family member, no matter what the child or public defender says or call your lawyer if you have one. And call your information into the police, do not go in there unless they take you there. It is very demeaning. Especially after the morning we had just been through.

Carolyn Mikesh
Gonzales

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