The scam works like this: Someone calls claiming that a relative of the victim is in trouble, and that the victim needs to send money to help, the release said. 

In the most recent case, someone called the 92-year-old claiming that his grandson had been arrested in Mexico City for drunken driving.  The caller used the grandson’s nickname and said the grandson would be released if the man wired $1,500 to the “authorities in Mexico City.” 

The man wired the money.  Someone called again and asked the man to send $12,000 because, the caller said, illegal substances were found in his grandson’s car. 

The man hung up the phone and called his daughter.  She told him that his grandson was safe and not in Mexico City. 

The man then filed a report with law enforcement. 

“Scams like this have become an everyday occurrence across the country,” said Flagler County Sheriff James L. Manfre. “ Swindlers prey upon the generosity, kindness and trusting nature of the elderly.  Getting the word out about frauds like this will hopefully help prevent another person from becoming a victim.” 

POLICE REPORTS

The following was compiled from police reports collected from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (SJCSO) and St. Augustine Police Department (SAPD):