Recently, the Wayland Police Department has responded to numerous complaints regarding attempted scams targeting the elderly residents of Wayland. In these scams, elderly residents are being targeted by telephone. During these telephone calls, residents are contacted by a person purporting themselves to be law enforcement in another state or country.

The latest attempt occurred when a male caller telephoned a Wayland resident and stated that her grandson was under arrest in Canada that he need bail money wired to Peru. The caller instructed the Wayland resident to go to the nearest Western Union location and wire the funds to a Western Union office in Peru.

Fortunately, the woman became suspicious and contacted another family member and was able to determine that her grandson was, in, fact safe and not in Canada.

This scam targets the elderly and is very convincing because the scammers often are able to determine names and relationships through social media. Police encourage all residents who receive a call of this nature, to contact the Wayland Police Department so we can verify the validity of the call before funds are sent. Family members are encouraged to talk to those people in their family, who may be vulnerable to such a scam, and advise them to verify with the police or a trusted family member before sending money via Western Union. The likelihood of retrieving money sent in these cases is very slim. The best defense against these scams is through education and prevention.