Impersonators tricks Kentucky grandmother with fake arrest story, steal thousands

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56) — A Louisville grandmother is out thousands of dollars after falling victim to a grandparent scam.

According to the FOX affiliate in Louisville, WDRB, it started with a call from someone claiming to be her grandson, saying he’d been arrested after a car crash and needed bail money.

The family told WDRB that the grandmother spoke with a man posing as a lawyer, and minutes later, a man showed up at her door.

She handed over $9,000 in cash.

Soon after, she got another call—this time asking for another $15,000.

Investigators tracked the suspect to a nearby hotel within 36 hours.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office/IRS CI Financial Crimes Task Force said detectives were able to use video from a Ring doorbell camera to identify the suspect’s vehicle, and within 36 hours, the man was found at a nearby hotel and taken into custody.

“We were able to identify the vehicle, the suspect, the hotel room and execute a search warrant,” Detective Jamie Brooks said Tuesday.

We’re told the victim has gotten a little more than half her money back.