Scammer Using Westchester Clerk’s Office in Ripoff Attempt
WHITE PLAINS, NY: The Grandson Scam, this time using the Westchester County Clerk’s Office as the “collection agency”, has hit again in Minnesota. This scam, in which potential victims are called by a man pretending to be a grandson who has gotten into trouble with the law, claimed $ 9,000 was due in the Clerk's office for bail. The person posing as the grandson requested bail payment in the forms of thousands of dollars in gift cards or to have the money wired from the grandparent. Once the gift cards are sent, or the money is wired, it is nearly impossible to get it back. The potential victim did not fall for it because his grandson had never been to Westchester but did report it to Clerk Legal Division chief Joseph Castellano.
Sometimes the scammer might say they are calling from the Westchester County Clerk’s office. Please be aware that this is false. The Westchester County Clerk’s office would never call an individual asking for bail money or any type of payment for a relative. If you ever receive a call from the Clerk’s office regarding any business you are not familiar with, you should report it to the Clerk at (914)995-3080.
County Clerk Tim Idoni said, “The Grandson Scam has been around for over a decade. This is the first we have heard of any county office being named in the call. Residents should always seriously question anyone asking for money for any reason over the phone.”
For more information on the “Grandson Scam,” and ways to protect you, please visit the Westchester County Consumer Protection page at the following link https://consumer.westchestergov.com/qgrandsonq-scam.