DELTONA WOMAN LOSES THOUSANDS TO SCAM

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a recent scam that bilked a 62-year-old woman out of $5,000. A man convinced the victim over the phone Monday that he was her son and that he owed a violent bookie gambling debts. The implied danger and urgency of the scammer’s story prompted the woman to follow the fake son’s directions without question. The elaborate setup also prevented the woman from ever seeing the thief as he took off with the cash.

The woman said that she got a call Monday afternoon from a man whose voice resembled that of her son’s and who sounded scared. When the woman asked him if he was OK, he replied, “I am in trouble with a bookie and I need help.” He claimed that the bookie would harm him if he didn’t come up with $5,000. The man also said that he was being followed by someone in a van and he was scared for his life. This story immediately hooked the woman who then followed the scammer’s instructions. First, she was told to go to the bank and withdraw the cash. Then she was sent to a restaurant in Orange City and was instructed to park in the back of the business. While still on the phone with the fake son, she left the cash in an envelope on the driver’s seat, rolled down the window, and walked into the restaurant. A few minutes later the scammer said that he got the money, and that she could go back to her vehicle and then drive home. After waiting a while at home, the woman finally called her son to check up on him. That’s when she found out that her son wasn’t in any trouble and that the whole episode had been a scam.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Bryan Ford at (386) 860-7030 or Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida, toll-free, at (888) 277-TIPS. Tipsters can also provide information by texting “TIP231 plus the message” to CRIMES. Anyone who provides information to Crime Stoppers will remain anonymous and can qualify for a reward of up to $1,000.