MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — Thousands of dollars were intercepted before reaching a scammer preying on elderly people in Martin County on Wednesday.
According to the Martin County Sheriff's Office (MCSO), an elderly citizen was scammed into believing she had won a foreign lottery.
The woman attempted to send $7,000 in a cash bundle carefully concealed in a magazine to the con artist.
An alert and concerned shipping clerk called MCSO, who were able to track the money back to the victim.
"Please reach out to your senior family members, friends and neighbors and warn them of these scams, inquire about any phone calls, text messages or internet activity that may have prompted them to pursue an action involving large amounts of cash," a MCSO spokesperson said in a social media post. "Understand that they believe what they are doing is going to make the lives of their family or others better. Whether it’s a lottery win, a refund, or a deal too good to be true."
Sheriff William Snyder said scammers target the elderly, some of whom believe they have won a nonexistent contest.
"In one of our cases, the victim was very irate that we 'interfered with her getting a new Mercedes,' which I think she was going to give to a loved one," Snyder said.
This is the second time Martin County deputies have saved elderly women a lot of money.
Earlier this week, they intercepted a package on its way to scammers that had $10,000. It was part of a ruse that convinces victims they need to pay back an accidental refund from the maker of computer antivirus software.