An 89-year-old Nashville woman said someone in Canada scammed thousands of dollars from her by pretending to be her grandson.
The con man pretended to be Beverly St. John's grandson on a fishing trip in Canada.
He told her was in trouble for ice fishing illegally, and he was in jail.
St. John is as sharp as a tack. She can still play the piano and the ukelele. She also paints.
"And most of the things I do, I do for gifts," she said.
She loves art, but what she cherishes most is her family.
"Jay grew up in Louisiana and his grandfather taught him how to fish," she said about her grandson.
He is an avid outdoorsman. So when she got a call from who she thought was her grandson in Canada, she wanted to help.
The caller was in Ontario, Canada. He said he'd been arrested for illegally ice fishing and he needed money.
"And he said ‘I'm at the courthouse and got to have $3,000 to pay the fine.' And he said ‘I'll pay you back as soon as I get home,'" St. John said.
She wired $3,000 to Canada. She didn't think anything was wrong until the next day when the same person called her again and asked for more money.
"I got a little bit suspicious," she said.
Her grandson was at home in North Carolina.
St. John called the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Better Business Bureau, the TBI and the Canadian Royal Mounted Police.
"I gave him the number on the receipt and he said, ‘We'll do the best we can, but I have a feeling you lost $3,000.' I said, ‘I do, too,'" she said.
Three thousand dollars to St. John is a lot of money.
"I haven't had $3,000 cash in my hand in my life," she said.
She doesn't understand how she could have fallen for such a scam.
Someone obviously knew her grandson liked to camp and fish.
"And they know grandmothers are patsies for their grandchildren and their great grandchildren," she said.
She is embarrassed about what happened.
Someone knew a lot about her grandson including his hobbies.
Police warn people not to money to anyone until they check them or the situation first, even if the person identifies themselves as a relative.
Police said this scam was reported in Franklin. It has also been reported in other states. In Minnesota, the Department of Public Safety said at least seven people have reported callers pretending to be grandchildren or other close relatives. They said they're in trouble and need money.
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