Phone Scam Won't Die in Santa Cruz County

For years, one tried and true phone scam has plagued Santa Cruz County's senior citizens. According to Sheriff's Deputy April Skalland, many local grandparents are still falling victim.

The scammers "target elderly citizens by claiming their grandson has been in a car accident out of the country and needs medical attention, but cannot get surgery until he has money," Skalland said. "The 'grandson' then requests the grandparent wire money through Western Union."

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office has received one recent report of the scam, with an unknown number going unreported.

Skalland warned that wired money is almost never retrievable, even in cases like this.

"The Internet and social network sites can reveal intimate details for scammers," she said. "Never give out personal or financial information over the phone and independently verify to determine if an actual emergency exists."

Have you ever been the victim of a phone or online scam? Tell us in the comments!