The Shelby Township Police Department has received several phone calls today from senior citizens, stating they received a phone call from someone claiming to be their grandchild and are in jail. The caller then hands the phone off to another person, claiming to be an attorney, asking for bond money to get their grandchild out of jail. The fake attorney will then instruct the senior citizen to send them money by either wiring money, using a cash app on their phone, or buy purchasing a gift card or money order.
The best advice for avoiding this type of scam is to hang up immediately. Also, if you have caller ID and don't recognize the number, don't answer it!
We just wanted to make to community aware of this ongoing scam, and to watch out for their elderly family members to make sure they don't become a victim to a scam like this!