A Brown County woman's quick thinking helped expose an imposter scam in real time after a caller claimed to be her grandson and demanded $15,000 in bail money.
Chris Neal said she knew something was wrong the moment she answered the phone.
"The person calling was saying, 'Hi, Grandma!' Well, that's wrong, because I'm not Grandma. I'm Mamaw," Neal said.
Rather than hanging up, Neal stayed on the line to learn more about what the scammer was after.
"Who is this? And he said, 'Well, Grandma, why would you ask? I'm your favorite grandson. And I said, 'Bobby?' And he said, 'Yes! Yes!'" Neal said.
WATCH: Scammer caught demanding $15,000 from Brown County grandma
The man claiming to be "Bobby" told Neal he had been in a serious car crash and was in jail. He said his bond would be high because a woman involved in the crash was in critical condition.
"I said how much is it, Bobby? He said $15,000," Neal said.
The caller told Neal she would soon hear from a man named "John Wilson," who he claimed was Bobby's court-appointed attorney. Wilson, he said, would explain how to pay the bail money. Neal was instructed to call Wilson right away — and to keep the conversation secret to "protect Bobby."
"We hung up then. I thought, 'Oh my gosh.' My first thought was to call John ([Matarese) or you, or the sheriff," Neal said.
Neal reached out to us at WCPO 9, so I went to her home near Mt. Orab in western Brown County. While we were there together, the scammer called again — this time posing as "John Wilson."
The caller asked if it was "feasible to retrieve the funds in cash" and confirmed the amount was $15,000, telling Neal to call him back once she had the money ready and he would "walk her through the process."
"Remember, it is imperative to keep the transaction personal," the scammer said.
Neal played along, telling the caller she appreciated his help and asking him to tell Bobby she loved him. That's when I stepped in.
"We've been recording this, and it sounds like you're trying to scam her," I told the caller.
The scammer's response was telling.
"I don't care that you're recording this," he said. "This is not even my real voice."
I was able to tell the scammer directly: "Courts don't disguise their voices. Please stop trying to take money from Chris. Do not call her again."
The call ended there.
'I just don't want anyone else to be taken by this'
Neal said she hopes her experience serves as a warning to others.
If you receive a call like this, take these steps immediately:
- Do not give out any personal information
- Stop communicating with the caller
- Document everything — including the phone number, time of the call, and what was said
- Report the incident to:
- Your local law enforcement agency
- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at reportfraud.ftc.gov
- The Ohio Attorney General's Office at ohioattorneygeneral.gov
"I just don't want anyone else to be taken by this scam," Neal said.
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- Instagram: @johnmataresemoney
- X/Twitter: @JohnMatarese
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- Facebook: Taylor Nimmo
- Instagram: @tnimms
- X/Twitter: @tnimms
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