Barbra Vaughn said she is aware of other scams like sending money to release a loved one from Mexico, but she says this new scam method felt real.
BOISE, Idaho — Phone scams are nothing new, lots of people get calls from unknown callers trying to trick people into giving over their hard-earned money, but it seems like scammers are catching on to people’s hang-up habits.
Barbara Vaughn, from Boise, said she fell victim to a very sophisticated scam. She thinks the scammers used artificial intelligence software to sound like her grandson, leading her to hand over $15,000.
Vaughn said a person acting as a prosecuting attorney called her and told her grandson was in custody after getting into a car accident involving a pregnant woman.
Although she usually knew how to spot scamming methods and was hesitant, she was eventually convinced after hearing what she believed to be her grandson’s voice, repeating personal information and using words he was known for using.
The caller, posing as the attorney, then convinced Vaughn that her grandson needed $15,000 for bond, she said.
Vaughn said the scammers then had Vaughn take the money out of the bank and package it, and a bail bondsman picked it up from Vaughn’s house. A person arrived, picked up the cash, and drove off with her money.
“I get scammed on my phone all the time and I know to just ignore it or not respond to it or open it,” Vaughn said. “This was so real; it wasn’t like he was just conveying information to me. I was speaking to my grandson. I knew it was him, and that really got me alarmed.”
Vaughn said she reached out to police after she got the car’s license plate number that showed up at her house, and police are investigating this situation.
The Boise Police Department said they are aware of this situation and know that scam tactics are evolving, and the community needs to be even more careful when getting these types of calls.
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