Whitley Sheriff warns of phone scam

Reports of a phone scam targeting grandparents have been made in Whitley County. The calls are reportedly from people posing as the victim’s grandchildren who are in dire need of help.

Two complaints by unrelated parties have been made to the sheriff’s department regarding these phone calls. Each caller requested credit card and banking information to receive money because they were allegedly out of the country and need medical treatment or to pay jail fees, the department reports.

One potential victim received a call from a man who identified himself with the same name as their actual grandson. However, their grandson was in fact, not in another country or in need of assistance.

The second complaint was reported as a generic call for financial assistance.

The sheriff’s department suspects that grandparents were chosen “because they may seem more sympathetic to requests for help or more susceptible to phone scams,” and requests this information be shared with family members.

It is believed by the department that more calls in Whitley County will be received as phone scams tend to focus in specific locations until efforts are exhausted. Sheriff Colan Harrell is asking residents to spread the word about this scam.