Linden police say an 86-year-old grandmother was scammed out of $1,500 last week by a caller who allegedly claimed to be a police officer.

According to Linden Police Capt. James Sarnicki, an unknown caller contacted the elderly resident on April 8, claiming to be a police officer. He allegedly told her that her granddaughter has been arrested and she needed to wire $1,5000 in bail money "as soon as possible" in order for the girl to be released, Sarnicki said in a statement Monday.

Sarnicki said the woman and her 91-year-old husband took out a cash advance with their credit card and wired the funds as requested. When she called the number that the "officer" had given her, however, she found that the number was out of service, authorities said.

The woman then reached out to her granddaughter, and found that the girl had not been arrested and was not in any type of trouble, Sarnicki said.

"Police continue to warn local residents that is a typical common telephone scam and not to fall prey to callers demanding money for any reason," Sarnicki said in a statement.

 

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