Couple scammed out of $100,000
Updated: November 15, 2012
RANTOUL -- A couple was duped out of their life savings of $100,000.
The scammer posed as their grandson. He called and said he was in jail, and that only they could help him.
They lost thousands of dollars just in a matter of a month, all to protect who they thought was family. It all started with a phone call from an unknown caller.
Chuck Padilla picked up. The caller said he was Padilla's grandson Brian. He was visiting a friend in Mexico, and was in trouble.
The caller said..."I guess we had been drinking, and I hit a car." He said he needed $4,000 for a lawyer and other expenses.
"That voice was his," Padilla said. Padilla sent the money. Then he got another call asking for $45,000 more to repair his totaled car and $60,000 to fix a building the car ran into.
"I didn't have enough for the $60,000 so I went and borrowed $20,000 more," Padilla said.
They didn't ask questions. Again, the Padilla's sent the money.
"We had been told do not tell his dad, do not tell his wife," Padilla said.
But after sending the money, they decided to call Brian's wife. Brian answered.
"Brian, where are you? Well, grandma I'm home, I'm in Paris where did you think I would be," Chuck's wife Nancy Padilla said.
"They released you already? When did you get back? He said Grandma, I haven't been anywhere," Padilla said.
It all sunk in. They had been scammed out of more than $100,000, money Chuck was saving for his wife.
"This got in my way. I have never let it do that, my heart," Padilla said.
The Padilla's thought they were keeping their grandson safe.
"He said, 'well now I know how much you love me.' He said, 'if you love me $100,000 worth.'"
They lost thousands of dollars just in a matter of a month, all to protect who they thought was family. It all started with a phone call from an unknown caller.
Chuck Padilla picked up. The caller said he was Padilla's grandson Brian. He was visiting a friend in Mexico, and was in trouble.
The caller said..."I guess we had been drinking, and I hit a car." He said he needed $4,000 for a lawyer and other expenses.
"That voice was his," Padilla said. Padilla sent the money. Then he got another call asking for $45,000 more to repair his totaled car and $60,000 to fix a building the car ran into.
"I didn't have enough for the $60,000 so I went and borrowed $20,000 more," Padilla said.
They didn't ask questions. Again, the Padilla's sent the money.
"We had been told do not tell his dad, do not tell his wife," Padilla said.
But after sending the money, they decided to call Brian's wife. Brian answered.
"Brian, where are you? Well, grandma I'm home, I'm in Paris where did you think I would be," Chuck's wife Nancy Padilla said.
"They released you already? When did you get back? He said Grandma, I haven't been anywhere," Padilla said.
It all sunk in. They had been scammed out of more than $100,000, money Chuck was saving for his wife.
"This got in my way. I have never let it do that, my heart," Padilla said.
The Padilla's thought they were keeping their grandson safe.
"He said, 'well now I know how much you love me.' He said, 'if you love me $100,000 worth.'"
