Elderly Warren woman scammed out of $4,000

WARREN

An 80-year-old Glenn Drive Northeast woman was scammed out of $4,000 by a male who called her three times Wednesday pretending to be her grandson and asking for money.

The male said he was in Nevada and had been in a car crash and needed $1,000 for him and the other party in the accident. She obtained a $1,000 MoneyPak card, and gave him the numbers on the back of it when he called back a few hours later.

A MoneyPak card is a financial instrument that can be used to pay someone just by giving them numbers from the card.

While on the phone with the woman the second time, he asked for another $1,000 for the hospital, and she provided a second $1,000. During the third call, he asked for $2,000 for attorneys, and she provided that also.

The MoneyPak web site says to use a MoneyPak number only with businesses on the MoneyPak approved list: “If anyone else asks for your MoneyPak number or information from your receipt, it’s probably a scam. Don’t give your MoneyPak number to pay for something you buy through the classifieds or to collect a prize or sweepstakes.”

The company also warns that it is not responsible for paying customers back for loss as a result of fraud or theft.