It would seem like you’d be able to spot a con quickly and simply, but unfortunately, that’s not always the case. It is of the utmost importance to have other people watching out for signals as well, particularly given the fact that some of them might be rather difficult to see.
The elderly are easy targets for con artists because they are more susceptible to being taken advantage of and because they often aren’t aware of common cons. That is precisely what occurred to Cecil Rodgers, a devoted grandpa, and grandfatherly figure.
A guy who called himself Cecil’s grandson and claimed to be calling from him over the phone.
He reported that he had just been in a terrible vehicle accident and might need some assistance. Another guy came on the phone claiming to be an attorney and he asked that Cecil provide some money if he wanted to aid his grandchild.
Cecil went to his bank and then to his local Walmart to transfer the money as soon as he could. He did not even bother to examine the phone call, as he was solely focused on providing assistance to his grandson in the shortest amount of time possible.
The granddad had intended to transfer $2,300 to the individual who identified himself as the attorney.
Audrella Taylor was unable to avoid speaking with him, so she made the decision that she would not let him transfer the money. She questioned Cecil in a casual manner about why he was sending so much money, and when she learned the reason, she immediately understood that he was being taken advantage of by someone else.
Audrella has spent the last five years working at Walmart, during which time she has seen a lot of different things. She was aware that Cecil was going to make a mistake, and she was concerned that he would lose a significant amount of money as a result.
She made the decision to do something to assist the old guy.
She explained to WCPO 9:
“He said something about someone being put up in prison,” the witness stated. He received a call informing him that he needed to deposit $2,000 immediately. I responded by saying that I would decline the offer made by the sender. I’m sorry, but I won’t allow you to transmit that money. I have a feeling that you are being taken advantage of.'”
Audrella questioned Cecil about whether or whether any other members of his family had been contacted by his grandson or the attorney, and Cecil replied that they had not been in touch with any other relatives.
Even his daughter, who is the mother of his grandchild, was unaware of the event and was not requested any financial assistance as a result of it. Audrella considered this to be even another warning sign since she believed that in the case of an accident, the boy’s mother would have been the first person to be notified.
Cecil was a bit bewildered by her behavior, but all that concerned him was providing assistance to his grandson.
He couldn’t fathom the motivation behind someone trying to steal his money in such a brazen manner. He had never given any thought to the possibility that the person on the other end of the call wasn’t indeed his grandson.
In point of fact, the attorney instructed him not to tell anybody about the phone conversation and cautioned him that if he did, his grandson would get himself into much more trouble than he was already in. Because of this, he had not inquired about it with any of his other relatives in the family. After bringing all of these peculiar facts to his notice, Audrella helped him understand that something wasn’t quite right.
The manager of Audrella praised her for the fast thinking she displayed.
If she hadn’t intervened and offered him assistance, Cecil would have been forced to give up that money, and there would have been no way for him to get it back. The manager said that he is quite pleased with her performance. Cecil and his family are likewise filled with immense gratitude for her assistance. It was intended to be his Christmas shopping money, but he ultimately decided to mail it.
It is possible that he would not have been able to purchase holiday presents for his family if he had gone through with the money transfer.
Because Audrella was able to detect the warning signals and was not afraid to speak up about them, her family was able to enjoy a wonderful Christmas experience. Additionally, the fact that Cecil’s grandson is unharmed and out of difficulty is a source of great thanksgiving.
These are horrible cons, and more people need to be aware of them. Be sure to check out the video that can be seen below to learn much more about this topic!