Chesterfield Resident Tricked into Wiring Money to Mexico

It's bad enough that scam artists approach you in parking lots, but they have also started attacking Chesterfield residents through their cell phones. 

The Chesterfield Police Department recently reported about an incident where an elderly woman received a call from a person claiming to be her grandson. The grandson said he had been arrested in Mexico and needed money to be bailed out of jail. 

Unfortunately, the women complied, wiring hundreds of dollars to only later discover she had been scammed. 

"This is becoming more common in scams," Chesterfield Police officer Michael Ryffel said in an email to Patch. "Somehow these people get the names of their loved ones and are just very good at exploiting further information once they make telephone contact."

Ryffel said the amount asked for varies but is usually in the $1,000 range. 

"Once it's wired, it's gone," he said. "The only prevention is to try and verify the information with family members before sending money. The problem is they [the scammers] can be terribly convincing."

According to an incident report from the CPD, the scam occurred on Oct. 26 in the 2300 block of Manor Grove Drive.