A phone scam that hit close to home for this couple

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - “My wife answered the phone in the house and then she brought it out here and she said there’s something wrong with one of our granddaughters,” said Alan Weixel, a resident in Milleraton.

Alan and Darlene Weixel got a phone call from a North Dakota area code, saying one of their grandkids was in a car accident and she was in jail.

“But all the time she’s crying and you can’t really recognize the voice,” he said.

Alan said the woman asked him to wait for another phone call to get more information on how to help.

He said the next call was from a North Carolina number and a man explained to him that his granddaughter, Tiffany, was in jail but couldn’t leave until they received her blood test for alcohol due to the crash.

He said the man also explained the other woman in the crash was 7 months pregnant and will most likely lose the baby.

“He said he would like to, he needed a cash bond of $9,000 and then I said I can’t come up with that kind of money,” he said.

Alan said the man settled for $5,000 and said it would be refunded when they received the blood work, but he says he had to wait for another phone call for more instructions.

So the couple drove to the bank. But on the way there, Alan and Darlene decided to call Tiffany to see if she would pick up.

“Soon as I called and she answered the phone and she says no she says I just got home, she says I’m ok, and I says well I think I just got scammed,” he said.

Alan said there were a number of convincing factors to the scam, as the area code.

“It was very convincing because well you don’t ever hear your granddaughter maybe 30 years old, over 30, cry like that over the phone like hysterical, that what really got to me,” he said.

Alan said he was relieved to know his granddaughter is alright. And hopes others learn from his experience.

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