The Eastlake Police Department is issuing a warning after a FedEx delivery driver foiled a scam and saved an elderly couple thousands of dollars.
Dan McCoy has been picking up and delivering packages for FedEx for 25 years. So last week, when he went to pick up a package from an elderly couple's home in Eastlake, it was easy to tell when something was not right.
"The man seemed to be upset," said McCoy.
The 84-year-old told McCoy that he needed to ship a package to New Jersey. But the address was difficult to read and it was missing an account number.
The elderly man told McCoy to call the person who had requested the package, someone he believed to be a New Jersey police officer
But, when the fake cop on the other end of the line told the veteran driver that the police department didn't have an account number, McCoy knew it was a scam.
"When he handed the phone back to me, I could hear him say that there was a gag order and not to discuss this with anyone or your son will go to prison. I knew something was up and I called police," said McCoy.
Eastlake police said the scammer called the elderly couple pretending to be a police officer. The fake cop told the couple that their son was in jail and they needed to send cash immediately or he would go to prison. Police said the scammer even put a man on the phone that sounded like the couple's son.
"If it weren't for Dan notifying us, the money would have been shipped, and once shipped and picked up it's very difficult to do anything from there," said Eastlake Police Chief Larry Reik.
Reik is warning people to be aware of this scam and try to get ahold of their relatives these fake cops claim to have in custody.
"If this happens and you're not sure, call your loved one," said Reik. "Have some type of code to know who you are talking to."
Eastlake police are working with New Jersey police to track down the scammer.
When the elderly couple got ahold of their son, he was at work and he was fine.
"I'm glad I was there," said McCoy.
