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South Jersey Couple Scammed of $72,000 By Telephone Con Man

By Robin Culverwell

EVESHAM, N.J. (CBS) -- Police in Evesham, NJ are warning of a phone scam that cost one elderly couple $72,000 of their savings.

It started with a promised refund of $300 from a man posing as a software company employee.

According to police, the phone caller began the scam by making a deposit to the couple's bank account, not of the promised $300 but of $3,000.

The honest victims then wanted to return the so-called "extra" $2,700, so the scam artist told them to either go to Western Union or use Paypal to return the money.

Evesham police lieutenant Joseph Friel explains what happened next:

"The male then called them back within hours and told them it never went through.  They tried again, and the suspect continued this process, so they continued to wire money this money to him."

Friel says the couple lost a total of about $72,000 from repeatedly repaying the money the scammer says he didn't get.

And recovering money for the victims is often tough, Friel notes, because most of the scammers are outside the country.

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