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Pasco County Sheriff's Office warning elderly of phone scam

The sheriff's office says the caller will say your grandchild is in jail-- they're not.
Credit: Pasco County Sheriff's Office

PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — If you live in Pasco County and have received a call saying your grandchild is in jail and must produce cash for their release-- the sheriff's office wants you to know its a scam.

The Pasco County Sheriff's Office Economic Crimes Unit says it responded to several cases of the scam made to exploit the elderly in Zephyrhills, Wesley Chapel, Land O' Lakes and New Port Richey.

Ultimately once you turn over the cash the reports of a jailed grandchild are found to be false.

Deputies say the man behind the scam is reported to be an unknown man in a
red, newer model Nissan Altima, without a license plate. 

"Citizens should be aware of this scam, and never willingly give up cash or information to a person claiming these things," the sheriff's office wrote in a release.

Anyone with information about the scammer or his scam is asked to contact the Pasco Sheriff's Office Crime Tips Line at 1-800-706-2488.

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