WEST SPRINGFIELD — Police are warning residents, particularly the elderly, about a scam involving fake bail money requests after incidents in West Springfield and Yarmouth.
On Dec. 17, West Springfield police received a report from a resident about his elderly parent being victimized.
The scammers called the victim claiming her adult son had been arrested and needed bail money.
The victim withdrew a large sum from her bank and placed it in a receptacle outside her home, where it was collected by a “courier.” The scammers then convinced the victim to repeat the process with more money.
The same day in Yarmouth, police arrested two suspects attempting a similar scam after a bank employee alerted authorities.
Carlos Santos, 34, of Methuen and Maria Ayala, 41, of Lawrence were charged with conspiracy and larceny by a single scheme over $1,200.
Yarmouth police said the suspects had instructed a 96-year-old victim to withdraw $10,000 for supposed bail money.
Officers intercepted the package in Worcester and recovered an additional $30,000 from a previous scam in western Massachusetts.
Law enforcement officials urge anyone receiving calls about arrested or endangered loved ones to contact police immediately before taking any action.
They note scammers often obtain personal information from the internet to seem credible.
Santos and Ayala were arraigned in Barnstable District Court on Dec. 18.
Police praised the bank employee’s alertness in notifying authorities about the suspicious transaction.
