City police warn of phone scam
Washington police are warning residents of a phone scam after a 79-year-old woman wired more than $6,400 to a man claiming her grandson was in trouble in the Dominican Republic.
Police said the resident living in the 600 block of Summerlea Avenue received a call Feb. 20 from someone claiming to be at the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republican who said her grandson was in jail in that country.
She sent four wire transactions to the man totaling $6,445 over the next three days, police said.
The woman contacted police Monday when she heard nothing more from the man after sending the money.
Police said they tried calling the phone number given to the woman, but it wasontinuing to investigate the scam.