PD Returns $85K To Mahwah Victims Of ‘Grandparent Scam’
Residents wired over $100,000 after a scammer pretending to be their grandchild in trouble called their house, police say
Mahwah residents who were scammed into wiring over $100,000 overseas, thinking it was going to their grandchild, are going to get a good portion of that money back.
According to Mahwah Police Chief Jim Batelli, several township residents reported receiving calls from people claiming to be their grandchildren in trouble, and in need of money to get out of it. The scam often includes someone pretending to be an attorney working on behalf of the grandchild.
One resident reported falling for the scam and wiring over $100K to a specified location after receiving a phoney call, Batelli said.
After an investigation into the fraud calls, Mahwah police have frozen $85,000 of the money at a Western Union location in Mexico. “It is expected that the $85,000 will be returned to the individual’s account within a few days,” Batelli said Tuesday evening.
The return of the money, which Batelli said happens “extremely [rarely]” in these types of cases, was thanks to the “quick notification” of the incident by the residents, and the “excellent police work by Detective Guido Bussinelli and members of the Mahwah Police Investigative Bureau.”
Batelli called the nicknamed grandparent scam “very complex. Although most people believe they wouldn't fall for it, the scammers are very good at what they do. The people committing these frauds always do their homework on the individual and family members who they call, most likely getting their information through social media and the internet. For every question or objection that is raised they have a set answer,” Batelli said.
Though Batelli said it is “nearly impossible” to trace where the call originated from, which may have been on a disposable cell phone from a foreign country, the PD is “pleased” that a large chunk of the money was recovered for the residents.
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Tom Murphy
8:53 am on Wednesday, September 26, 2012
I work in a field that is subject to all sorts of attempts of fraud. When they are successful it is next to impossible to get the money back. The rare times we have been successful has been through the assistance of local law enforcement. You are dependent upon the local police having the right knowledge and skills. A lot of PD's do not want anything to do with these crimes despite the fact that a common thief probably would not be able to steal $100k in a simple break in or hold up. Saying 'great job' is an understatement. Thanks.
Stephen Rasmussen
12:49 pm on Wednesday, September 26, 2012
I had an incident in which Det. Bussinelli was assigned my case. Took a few weeks, but he never gave up and was able to solve it. Great work, yet again Mahwah PD!!
Mahwah Resident
7:55 pm on Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Congratulations, Det. Bussinelli!!! There are so many scams going on because of the economy and these people who try to scam prey on the unemployed, elderly and just about anyone they can!!!! I am very happy the grandparents will get most of their money back. They are very lucky. Most people don't.
Leaking Ink
11:32 pm on Thursday, September 27, 2012
You are the man, Detective Bussinelli! Great job! Thanks so much.
One for Mahwah
6:45 pm on Friday, September 28, 2012
Its a shame that these scammers prey on our senior citizens. great job MPD
Hank
7:08 pm on Friday, September 28, 2012
there are scammers working right before our eyes
last couple of weeks a paving co with red dump truck with no name on it
has been knocking on doors and using the ol "we happen to be in the area, and you need a new driveway" routine
Michael Dwells
1:33 pm on Sunday, September 30, 2012
I feel glad for the victim. 100K is lot of money and although not all of it will be returned, at least, he's getting a big portion of money back. This good news reminds me of this similar case I read at www.callercenter.com. It's the same Grandparent scam and the victim, a grandmother, sent a total of $45 000, worried that her only grandson met an accident and was lying critical in a hospital somewhere in Mexico. She admitted to have panicked as soon as she heard the news and she didn't think clearly. Good thing that the victim's daughter called and she was told that the grandson was fine, he was at work and that he's never gone to Mexico. The victim and her daughter reported to the police right away and alerted the money transfer company. The transaction was stopped and the money returned to the victim.