9-23-2015 Senior Phone Scam Alert

I just receive the following phone call:

Caller: "Hello Grandpa, this is your Grand Daughter
I have laryngitis so I don't sound like myself"
Me: "You certainly don't, which Grand Daughter? "
Caller: "What do you mean? "
Me: "Well, I have several"
Caller: "Your Oldest"
Me: "Oh, OK" (Suspicious because she should have said her name.)
Me: "Is everything OK"
Caller: "No"
Me: "What's the matter?"
CALLER: "I was visiting a friend in Niagara Falls and on my way home, I was involved in a car accident."
Me: "Are you OK"
Caller: "Yes every one is fine"
Me: "And the car"
Caller: "The car is fine. This woman came out of nowhere and I hit her but she's OK."
Me: "Thank God"
Caller: "Yes, but when the cops came, the asked if I was drinking. I told them no but, because I'm taking medicine for my laryngitis,
I failed the breathalyzer and spent the night in Jail."
Me: "Did they assign you an attorney"
Caller "Yes, but I need bail money. Can you send me $500.00 via Western Union ?"
Me: "That's going to really be hard. We just had some medical bills so things are pretty tight."
Caller: "Please Grand Pa, can't you put it on your credit card ?"
Me: "Sorry they are all maxed out"
Caller "Please Grand Pa, I don't want to stay in Jail."
Me: "Sorry sweety but I really can't and don't have any money I can send."
Caller: click.... she hung up.

In my case, my oldest Grand Daughter doesn't drive.
She also wouldn't be in Niagara Falls.
It's very easy to fall for a scam like this because all of us want to help family.
Especially our grandchildren.