Lower Saucon Township Police said in a news release Sunday that a Wildberry Road resident lost $2,000 as a result of a phone scam Thursday that took advantage of a granddaughter’s love and trust.
The scam began when the man received a call from a woman claiming to be his granddaughter.
The woman, who police said reportedly “sounded and spoke exactly like his granddaughter would,” told the man she had “screwed up” and ended up in the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas, Nev.
“She explained that she skipped college for the day, rented a car and drove to Las Vegas with a friend,” police said. “While in Vegas she drank a little and crashed the the rented vehicle into an expensive car owned by a wealthy family. She claimed that she was arrested…(and) that she had a lawyer willing to represent her…”
Police said the lawyer, who identified himself as “Michael Richards,” was put on the phone and then told the Lower Saucon man he needed a $15,000 deposit payable in gift cards in order to represent his granddaughter.
Michael Richards is the name of the actor who famously portrayed the zany character of “Kramer” on the 1990s sitcom Seinfeld.
After instructing the victim to purchase the gift cards and call him back, the lawyer hung up with him and the man purchased $2,000 in iTunes gift cards, police said.
When he called Richards back, he gave him the redemption numbers off the cards.
“The victim then cuaght on to that he was being scammed,” police said. “He called the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas and confirmed his granddaughter was not there. He then got a hold of his granddaughter and verified she was OK and not in trouble.”
However, by then police said the gift cards had already been redeemed.
Police also shared information about the scam on their Facebook page.
“If you receive a call informing you that a family member or friend has been arrested and placed in prison and they request money for a lawyer or bail and that it must be in gift cards, PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS IS A SCAM,” police said.
