JOHNSTOWN, Ohio -- A local man is on a mission after he was victimized by a scheme that targets the elderly.
NBC 4's Mike Bowersock reported the FAST FACTS on this crime trend.
The latest scam involved an 82-year-old Johnstown man.
Don Perkins received a phone call last week from someone who claimed to be his grandson.
The impersonator said he was in Canada, was in an accident and needed thousands of dollars to get out of the police station.
Unfortunately, it's a common scheme called "The Grandparent's Scam."
In Perkins' case, someone else got on the phone and claimed to be an officer.
"This other voice comes on and says, 'It's Sgt. Adams with the Ottawa, Canada, police,' and I said, 'What do you mean?' "
The so-called officer said Perkins was going to have to pay $2,300 in damage.
So, Perkins did as the officer asked – and then was asked to send thousands more.
He did.
Perkins called his grandson who answered his home phone.
The grandson wasn't ever in Canada.
Perkins knows he was taken and has been handing out fliers to ensure no one else falls prey.
Dozens of Web sites warn of the scheme, including AARP.org.
It's listed as the eighth most popular way to defraud people out of their money after bogus fuel-saving devices.
The local FBI said it has heard of this happening to other people locally and recently.
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