WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A sophisticated scam is making the rounds in Wichita, costing one woman more than $8,000.
Pat Hoppman fell victim to what’s called the “grandparents’ scam.” Someone calls pretending to be a relative, asking for money to get them out of jail. But this time, there was a twist, and it is something experts say is concerning.
“I really thought I was talking to the real people,” said Hoppman
It was a scam in which the caller claimed to be Pat Hoppman’s grandson.
“This guy said, ‘Grandma?’ and I said, ‘Yes?’ but I wasn’t sure. I’ve only got one male grandson who calls me. I wasn’t sure who it was, and I said, ‘Is this Christian? He said, ‘Yeah,’” Hoppmann said.
The scammer told Hoppmann that he was in jail and needed money. He even told her to call a police officer to verify.
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“He said the officer who has my case is David Branch. He’s in the 11th precinct, he said,” said Hoppman.
She called, and the man told her it was true and that someone would pick up the $8,500 from her house to get him out of jail.