SCAM ALERT

McKean County District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer reports that her office received a report  of a scam targeting an elderly resident.  The County Detective Bureau of the District Attorney’s Office received a report from a woman who received a telephone call directing her to pay money to bail her son out of jail. 

A victim reported to our office that she received a phone call where the caller told her that her son was in an accident and he was being held pending the payment of bail.  The scammers then placed another person on the phone who pretended to be the victim’s son who sounded distressed.  The elderly woman was not able to determine at that time if the person she heard was her son or not.  The caller told the victim she needed to pay $15,000 to bail her son out, and, further, that she was to get the money from two separate banks.  It is believed this direction was to avoid the banks from becoming suspicious. 

The scammers instructed the victim to not attempt to contact any of her son’s immediate family.  Chief County Detective Ryan Yingling was able to confirm the victim’s son was not in danger and was not the person heard on the phone call.  He has been in contact with the FBI and other law enforcement. All residents should be aware of scams like this and report any such scams to the County Detectives at the District Attorney’s Office at (814) 887-3312 or McKeanDA.org.