Towards the end of September, an elderly Guthrie County resident was the victim of a phone scam, and Sheriff Marty Arganbright is warning others about a “grandparent’s scheme.”

This type of scam is when an unknown party calls an elderly individual and states they are their granddaughter or grandson. The scammer will state they have been arrested and need bail money, and will typically give details about their false identity in order to give the situation some validity. However, Arganbright points out that the ability to find details about anyone is a simple internet search away, and too often the elderly victims will fall for the scams. This particular incident was reported on September 25th, and Arganbright says it was especially troubling because of the frequent calls and pressure tactics the scammer used on the victim.

He adds, it eventually turned from a “grandparent’s scheme” into a real estate scheme, and the victim lost hundreds of thousands of dollars to the scammer. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office is withholding the victim’s identity and the amount taken in order to protect the individual’s privacy. Arganbright urges people to be in contact with your elderly family members and neighbors to prevent this from happening to them, as he says these types of cases are difficult to investigate and rarely result in the money being returned. To report a scam, contact the Sheriff’s Office at 641-747-2214.