VAN BUREN COUNTY, Mich. – An 85-year-old man exposes a case of phone fraud.
According to the police, Carroll Rimes, 85, called the police on November 27th after receiving multiple phone calls from a person who claimed to know his grandson.
Rimes said to the police that the suspect identified himself on the phone as “Angle Ramirez” and claimed to be in Lima, Peru with Rimes’ grandson for a weeding.
The suspect, according to the police, asked Rimes for money to pay for medical bills and fines from a car wreck that Rime’s grandson was supposed to have suffered. The suspect claimed that the victim’s grandson was in arrested in Peru and wouldn’t be released or receive medical attention until the fines were paid.
Out of concern for his grandson Rimes wired $4000 to the suspect in Peru through a money gram.
Rimes became suspicious of fraud when the suspect kept calling and asking for more money and then contacted the police. He then got in touch with his grandson who lives in New York City and found that his grandson hadn’t left the United States or been arrested.
Rimes was then able to stop a second, pending transfer of $3000 to Ramirez through Western Union.
The $4000 Rimes originally transferred could not be recovered because the money was untraceable.
Police attempted to contact the suspect but he hung and is no longer answering the phone.
Police caution people to be careful when they are notified over the phone or by mail that they have won money, or as in this instance owe money.
