Nebraska grandparents scammed out of more than $18,000

SCRIBNER, Neb. (WOWT) - A familiar scam with a new twist has hit senior citizens in our area. It’s cost some victims thousands of dollars.

A scam caller claimed to be her granddaughter who had a serious accident and she’s in legal trouble and under the weather.

“You don’t really sound like yourself today? That’s because I have laryngitis,” said Grandma.

Grandpa was tricked out of her name.

“She was crying and then talking to me and she says you know who this is? And I said yes this is [bleep],” said Grandpa.

The scammers convinced the couple their granddaughter needed bail money.

“It’s going to run $18,800,” said Grandpa.

But they’re warned not to tell anyone when withdrawing the money as told by an alleged lawyer with a Canadian phone number.

Over the years, 6 News has talked to many victims of the grandparents came but this one has a little twist. The scammers sent a courier to pick up the money but a neighbor caught the vehicle on a security camera.

The video shows a white pickup driven by a man who just picked up the money from the victims of the grandparent scam.

“So I handed over the envelope with the money in it and he was going across the street over there and I thought ‘oh my God what did I do.’ By that time, it was too late,” said Grandpa.

The video captured by Beck Hull’s security camera could help get the money back.

“That is a lead we’ve never had before and hopefully with people watching we can get somebody IDed in that vehicle and get somebody caught this time,” said Chief Jake Brainard, Scribner Police.

After paying the phony bond the victims checked on their granddaughter.

“[Granddaughter] She said ‘oh my god you’re kidding,’ she never had a car accident,” said Grandma.

Grandparents who are mentally sharp but a well rehearsed scam can dull the sense.

6 News discovered two more victims in Dodge County also lost thousands of dollars in the grandparents’ scam. If you have any information on the pickup driven by the courier, call Scribner Police or Fremont Police.

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