St. Thomas senior loses $9,000 in 'grandparent scam'

St. Thomas police are warning residents, especially seniors, to be aware of a scam targeting the elderly.

Police say a 76-year-old man received a call in the middle of the night, claiming his grandchild was involved in a crash and needed $9,000 to be released by police.

The caller posed as a lawyer, and said a “court bailiff” would come to the man’s house to collect the money.

After getting cash from the bank the next morning, police say a woman in a black SUV arrived that afternoon and took the money.

“It’s easy to sit back after the fact and then go back and notice all the red flags,” says St. Thomas Police Communications Coordinator Tanya Calvert. “These scams work because they’re under duress.”

Grandparents in these situations often just want to help their family member out any way they can, she says, but it’s important to take a step back and double check what’s happening.

“Get on the phone and call your grandchild or their parents,” says Calvert.

Scams targeting seniors are increasing in the St. Thomas area, says Calvert, and they can be frustrating to investigate because there is often little information to go off of, making it difficult to recover stolen funds.

“If you feel like something isn’t right, or it’s too good to be true, call police,” she adds.