Full Notification

On 01/24/13, the Frankfort Police Department received a phone call regarding a telephone scam. The elderly female resident reported that a young man called her home and said, “Hi Grandma”. The woman has a grandson in his 20’s and she then called him by name. The unknown male went on to say that he was in trouble and knew he could count on her. He begged her not to tell his parents, and told her that he would tell them once this incident was over. He related that he was with friends in another country and that they were arrested for drugs. He reassured her that he did not have any drugs, but needed money for bond. The unknown male also told her that he would get all of the money back and asked her to speak to the officer about how to send bond. In this case the scammers were requesting the money be transferred to a foreign bank account. Scammers often do this or ask for Western Union type transfers. Luckily, the woman realized this was a scam and did not give any payment information over the phone. This scam was alarming because the unknown male somehow knew the woman’s name and address. He also knew her grandson’s name.

Please be aware that these scams are becoming more and more common. You should never give out any personal information over the phone. Anyone having questions or concerns regarding this incident please contact the Frankfort Police Department at (815)469-9435.

*The Frankfort Police Department is excited to announce a new information sharing tool called Nixle. Through Nixle, you can receive regular e-mail notifications and alerts, sign up to receive alert text messages, or you can simply go to their website to find out what is going on in the area. To sign up for this new service, go to www.nixle.com.