Spokane grandma loses $17,000 to scam

SPOKANE — As far as crime goes, there is low, there's downright dirty and then there's the grandparents scam.

An 82-year-old Spokane woman was bilked out of more than $17,000 of her savings last month by swindlers who persuaded her to wire them money — purportedly to bail her grandson out of trouble with the law in Canada.

"I felt so stupid," said Rose Alexander, who was conned by a man pretending to be her adult grandson, Spencer. "But I wanted to help."

Alexander agreed to speak in hopes that it will help prevent others from becoming victims. Many of those who've been scammed don't even tell police.

Since spring, about five such cases were reported to the Spokane Police Department, according to fraud Detective Stacey Carr, who estimates the actual number of cases is much higher.

Alexander described how one evening she got a phone call from someone who sounded like her grandson, who lives in Montana.

"Grandma, this is Spencer," the man said. "I'm in jail."

The caller said he was on a fishing trip in Canada and had picked up two hitchhikers. Police pulled them over. The hitchhikers were transporting cocaine. He was in jail and needed bail.

Then a bogus police officer came on the line and told Alexander how much money to wire.

Alexander wired nearly $3,000 to Manchester, England — because after all, Canada is part of the British Commonwealth.

Then the fake grandson needed money to get his car out of impoundment. Then there was another call for money to pay a lawyer, and on and on. From Oct. 13-15, Alexander wired several checks totaling $17,807.

"It left me with not enough money to put gas in my car," Alexander said.

States' attorneys general have issued alerts nationwide about the grandparents scam.