Telephone Con Artist Expands Scam Targeting Senior Citizens-July 17, 1992

On July 16, 1992, authorities issued a stern warning as a persistent telephone con artist, who has been actively attempting to swindle thousands of dollars from unsuspecting senior citizens, significantly expanded the reach of his operations. The latest incident involved a 70-year-old woman in Norwood who answered her telephone on the morning of July 15, 1992, only to be greeted by a caller posing as her nephew. The man, who identified himself as “Bob,” claimed to be in immediate, life-threatening trouble and urgently requested a meeting in Hyde Park to collect a large sum of money. When the potential victim expressed skepticism, noting that the caller did not sound like her real relative, the perpetrator attempted to bypass her suspicion by claiming, “I have a bad cold, Auntie.” The woman promptly ended the call and contacted the real “Bob,” who was safely at his workplace and confirmed that he had not initiated any such conversation.

This encounter marked the seventh reported instance in Norwood within a single week involving the same sophisticated ruse. Norwood Police reported that the scam has not been confined to their jurisdiction; three residents in Westwood have filed similar reports, and the fraudulent activity has been documented across various other communities in the commonwealth, including Quincy, Weymouth, and Braintree. While investigators noted that none of the contacted residents in Norwood or Westwood ultimately surrendered funds, one 64-year-old Norwood woman was nearly deceived, going so far as to contact the Bank of Boston to coordinate a $5,000 withdrawal before bank officials intervened and directed her to contact the authorities immediately.

Norwood Police spokesman Paul Bishop characterized the scam as particularly unusual because the perpetrator frequently poses as a specific, identifiable family member. In at least one documented instance, the caller identified himself as the victim’s “oldest nephew” and explicitly asked for someone referred to as “Uncle Ed.” Investigators are currently puzzled by the methods used by the criminals to obtain such precise information about family identities, as there are no apparent, discernible links between the various victims. Police believe that at least two men are involved in the operation, with one accomplice occasionally speaking with a distinct foreign accent. The perpetrators have been described as notably aggressive, often resorting to arguments when individuals express doubt regarding the validity of the fabricated emergency. As the investigation continues, Norwood Police advise that anyone receiving such a suspicious solicitation should immediately request that the caller phone back at a later, appointed time, and use that interval to contact the Norwood Police directly to report the attempt. At this time, no suspects have been identified, and the search for the individuals responsible for this widespread series of attempted frauds remains ongoing.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger