Arlington Heights police warn of scams

• Article

Arlington Heights police warn of continued scams aimed at taking advantage of elderly residents. In one recent case, an 82-year-old man received a call from a subject claiming to be his grandson and saying he was arrested on charges of DUI in Orlando, Fla., and needed $1,420 wired for his bond and that he would be getting a call from a lawyer with instructions because the grandson's cellphone was taken away. The second caller gave instructions on how to complete a MoneyGram transaction. The potential victim withdrew cash from the bank and went to a Walmart in Palatine, where employees advised the potential victim the transaction was suspicious and declined to wire the money. In the other case, a 79-year-old woman received a telephone call from a man saying she had won $1,000 from a publishing company and someone would be dropping off the check, but she should not tell anyone about it. The woman contacted police who then called the number left by the offender, who hung up immediately.