SAY ABOUT THIS DISASTER ZONE IN
DEARBORN.
>> ONE OF THE MOST TERRIFYING
SCAMS WE’VE HEARD OF AND LOCAL
PEOPLE ARE BEING TARGETED.
>> ONE VICTIM IS SHOWING WHAT
HAPPENED TO HER AND THE DETAILS
OF THIS SCAM WILL LEAVE YOU
STUNNED.
OUR CONSUMER INVESTIGATOR HANK
WINCHESTER LIVE WITH WHAT WAS
REALLY A FRIGHTENING SITUATION,
HANK.
>> AND JASON, KIMBERLY,
ABSOLUTELY FRIGHTENING.
I MEAN, BECAUSE THIS IS
HAPPENING WHEN PEOPLE ARE IN THE
COMFORT OF THEIR HOMES,
SOMETIMES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
NIGHT, SOMETIMES DURING THE DAY,
YOU COULD JUST BE SITTING
AROUND, MAYBE YOU’RE FOCUSED ON
THE KIDS, WATCHING LOCAL 4, AND
THEN YOU GET A PHONE CALL, FOR
EXAMPLE, RIGHT NOW, MY FRIEND
WOODY IS CALLING ME, IF I ANSWER
THAT CALL, I ASSUME WOODY IS
GOING TO BE ON THE OTHER LINE.
NOT TRUE, BECAUSE NOW HIGH TECH
THIEVES, THEY’RE MOVING IN.
>> Reporter: IT HAPPENED IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
A PHONE CALL AMELIA ANDERSON
RECEIVED THAT STILL MAKES HER
TREMBLE WITH FEAR.
>> A MAN TAKE THE PHONE AND SAYS
I HAVE YOUR MOM, IF YOU TELL
ANYBODY OR CALL THE COPS, I’LL
SHOOT HER.
>> Reporter: THE CALL COME TO
AMELIA’S CELL PHONE AROUND
4:00 A.M. ON NOVEMBER 28th.
RIGHT NOW LISTEN TO AMELIA’S
CALL TO POLICE FOR HELP AS THIS
ALL PLAYED OUT.
>> I JUST GOT A CALL FROM MY
MOM, SHE WAS CRYING AND THEN A
MAN CAME ON THE PHONE, AN
UNKNOWN MAN, AND SAID IF YOU
CALL THE POLICE I’LL KILL YOUR
MOTHER.
HE SAYS I HAVE YOUR MOM, I DON’T
WANT TO HURT ANYBODY.
I’M JUST TRYING TO HELP MY BABY,
BUT I WILL, I SWEAR TO GOD I
WILL HURT HER.
>> Reporter: AMELIA WOKE UP
STARTLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
NIGHT, SHE WAS GETTING A CALL
FROM WHAT SHE THOUGHT WAS HER
MOTHER.
HER CONTACT INFORMATION COMING
UP ON AMELIA’S PHONE.
IT HAD TO BE MOM, RIGHT?
>> AND I HEAR CRYING, LIKE
UNCONTROLLABLY TO THE POINT
WHERE YOU CAN’T EVEN TALK, YOU
KNOW, LIKE HYPERVENTILATING
CRYING, A WOMAN’S VOICE, WHO I
THOUGHT WAS MY MOM.
>> THE GUY SAYS ALL I INTO
SECOND $1500, THAT’S ALL I NEED.
AND I SAID OKAY, OKAY, HOW CAN I
GIVE IT TO YOU.
>> Reporter: SHE SEPTEMBER THE
MONEY BECAUSE SHE COULD HEAR
WHAT SHE THOUGHT WAS HER MOTHER
IN THE BACKGROUND.
>> I ULTIMATELY SEND HIM THE
$1500, HE SAYS, OKAY, IF YOU
CALL THE COPS, I SWEAR TO GOD I
WILL SHOOT HER.
>> THE MONEY DELIVERED, THE CALL
NOW DEAD.
AMELIA CALLED ROYAL OAK POLICE
WHO QUICKLY ARRIVED AT HER
MOTHER’S HOME, SURROUNDING THE
HOUSE.
AND THEN IT HAPPENED.
>> I CALLED HER AND THAT’S WHEN
SHE WOKE UP AND SHE SAID, SHE
WAS LIKE, HI, WHAT’S WRONG.
AND I SAID DID HE LEAVE YET, SHE
OBVIOUSLY AT THAT POINT IT’S
RECTING IN MY BRAIN THAT THIS IS
A TOTAL SCAM.
>> Reporter: THIS TERRIFYING
HIGH TECH SCAM IS MORE COMMON
THAN YOU THINK.
>> IT’S UNFORTUNATE IN TODAY’S
DAY IN AGE, ABOUT YOU WITH
TECHNOLOGY, THIS IS WHAT IS
OCCURRING, AND IT’S VERY
DIFFICULT BECAUSE THEY CLONE THE
NUMBERS AND IT’S VERY DIFFICULT
TO TRACE WHERE IT’S COMING FROM.
>> Reporter: THE THIEVES
PURPOSELY CALLING YOU IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, AND
INTENTIONALLY PREYING ON YOUR
EMOTIONS.
>> ESPECIALLY EARLY IN THE
MORNING PHONE CALL, YOU KNOW,
YOU’RE HALF ASLEEP, YOU GET A
PHONE CALL --
>> BE ON THE LOOKOUT AND ASK
QUESTIONS, I WOULD SAY MAKE SURE
TO AT LEAST HEAR YOUR LOVED
ONE’S VOICE IN THE BACKGROUND,
TALK TO THEM.
>> Reporter: SHE’S NOW WORKING
WITH CHASE TRYING TO GET HER
$1500 BACK, BUT IT MAY BE A
LOSS.
A FINANCIAL HIT TAKEN DURING A
TERRIFYING SCAM THAT STILL SEEMS
SO REAL.
>> AND I MEAN, TERRIFYING IS THE
WORD FOR THIS.
AND I WAS BEING TRUTHFUL THERE,
I WOULD HAVE FALLEN FOR THAT.
YOUR PHONE RINGS IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE NIGHT, YOU’RE STARTLED,
AND YOU SEE YOUR MOM’S NAME
THERE, AND SHE’S PLEADING FOR
HELP IN THE BACKGROUND, WHAT YOU
THINK IS YOUR MOM.
I THINK ALMOST EVERYBODY WOULD
DO WHAT AMELIA DID IN THAT
SITUATION.
A FEW UPDATES HERE, I SHOULD
TELL YOU THAT I DID REACH OUT TO
CHASE, WHICH CONTROLS ZELLE.
AN INVESTIGATION IS UNDERWAY.
THE GOAL HERE OBVIOUSLY TO
RETURN HER MONEY TO HER, BUT
UNFORTUNATELY THESE SCAMS ARE
HAPPENING SO OFTEN THAT MANY
INVESTIGATIONS ARE UNDERWAY, AND
I SHOULD TELL YOU THIS IS A
JOINT INVESTIGATION WITH ROYAL
OAK PD AND HUNTINGTON WOODS PD,
AND AS OF RIGHT NOW THEY BELIEVE
IN THIS CASE THEY MAY HAVE
TRACKED DOWN THE PERSON
RESPONSIBLE AND WE’RE TOLD THAT
SHE MAY LIVE IN GEORGIA.
OF COURSE THIS IS MORE
INFORMATION YOU SHOULD BE
SHARING WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND
FAMILY MEMBERS.
SO WE’LL PUT EVERYTHING YOU NEED
TO KNOW RIGHT ON
CLICKONDETROIT.COM.