Elderly Atherton man targeted in PayPal scam saved by alert caregiver

(KRON) — The Atherton Police Department is alerting the community to money scams targeting the elderly following an arrest on Thursday. Authorities said an elderly Atherton man nearly lost $15,000 before the PayPal scam was intercepted by an “alert caregiver.”

The financial scam involved the man clicking “on an email link that advised him funds had been transferred out of his PayPal account without authorization,” Atherton PD said. The man then got a phone call from a person pretending to be a PayPal representative and told him to withdraw $15,000 from his bank. After the man made the withdrawal, authorities said he was instructed to deliver the money to a PayPal administrator at his residence “as payment for the unauthorized account withdrawal.”

“Fortunately, an alert caregiver contacted the elderly resident’s daughter who contacted the Atherton Police,” the department said.

A female suspect was arrested after officers responded. Her identity was not released by Atherton PD.

Authorities said scammers often pose “as government officials, law enforcement officers, utility company employees, or even relatives in distress.” Atherton police are reminding the community to:

• Never send money, gift cards or wire transfers to people you don’t know.
• Verify messages and phone calls independently. For example, hanging up on someone claiming to be a loved one and calling them back directly using a known number.
• Never click on links or open attachments in unsolicited emails or messages.

Police encourage people to talk to trusted family or friends, or call the police, before making decisions involving money. “We also encourage families to have open conversations about scams and consider assisting elderly loved ones in monitoring suspicious communications,” Atherton PD said.