BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — A Quincy man prevented an 87-year-old woman from being scammed out of $4,000, according to the Quincy Police Department . While working a shift for Yellow Cab, Richard Spencer picked up a woman who asked to be taken to Walmart where she planned on buying more gift cards to help her grandson. Earlier that day, another driver told Spencer about an elderly woman that had bought two separate $2,000 gift cards. Believing the woman was being scammed, Spencer took her directly to the Quincy Police Station where the victim relayed her story to officers.
The victim received a phone call from an unidentified male claiming to be her grandson. The caller said he was in a car accident, and in order to stay out of jail, the victim would need to send him gift cards. The caller gave the victim specific instructions on calling a cab and where to purchase the cards, including passing along the gift card and pin numbers. Known as a "grandparent scam" the victim's loss of $4,000 would have doubled if not for the actions of Spencer.