Man lost $4k to 'arrested in Peru' scam

LAWTON, Mich. (WOOD) - A Van Buren County grandfather is out $4,000 after being scammed into thinking his grandson had been arrested in Peru and needed money.

The 85-year-old grandfather from Lawton received a call Wednesday from a man who claimed to be his grandson. His grandson lives in New York.

"'I'm in Lima, Peru in jail and I need $2,000,'" the grandfather recalled the man saying.

The scammer's fake tale was extensive: He said got a free ticket to Peru from a friend. He went for a wedding and had been in a car crash. He was arrested and needed $2,000 to pay for the other driver's car.

"'Please don't tell my dad,'" the grandfather recalled his frantic fake grandson saying.

The grandfather, who didn't want his family identified for fear of retribution, told his son anyway.

His 61-year-old son OK'd the transaction. He figured the caller in question was too embarrassed and it was conceivable that his son would take a short-notice trip.

"I wouldn't think it would be unusual for him to go out of the country," his father told us.

Then the scammer needed more. Something came up. The grandfather sent another two grand. He thought his grandson needed money to pay for hospital bills before he could leave the country.

Then the scammer needed $3,000 more for a settlement with the driver he "hit."

Three times the Lawton grandparents rushed the 30-minute drive to the Three Rivers Walmart.

It was during that third trip to the Walmart when the grandfather said workers processing the MoneyGram transaction warned him of a scam and advised him to investigate.

He recalled a worker warning him during his second visit to the Walmart, too. And he said a bank teller asked him if his checked to see if his grandson really was gone, so the grandfather had his son call.

The grandson said he had not left New York and had not been arrested.

The man's father recalled asking him, "Are you sure you really are home? And you're not in Peru?"

His son said, "I'm here. Why would I be in Peru?'"

The grandfather, who had already sent another $3,000 to Lima -- this time via Western Union -- was able to stop the transfer before it reached the scammer.

It is known that the first $4,000 sent was picked up at a Lima Western Union. The money can't be recovered, authorities say.

Van Buren County Sheriff's deputies called the scammer, but he hung up and is not answering the phone.

Authorities remind using caution when receiving mail or phone calls saying money has been won or owed. Prize-winning organizations will not ask you to send them money to cover fees, the sheriff's department said.

The Hastings Police Department recently reported a similar incident that scammed grandparents out of $4,000 after they were told their grandson had been arrested in Mexico.

The Federal Trade Commission has information on how to prevent falling victim to similar scams at its website.

If you think you have been scammed, you should contact your local law enforcement agency . You can also report the incident to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a federal database that sends potential scam cases to law enforcement for consideration.

The database also helps identify scam trends and warn the public.

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