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Phone Scams On The Rise

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - Deputies are warning about a rise in phone scams.

One woman got a call from someone claiming to be her grandson.

That person asked for thousands of dollars to bail him out of jail for drugs.

Grandma was suspicious, and the caller got aggressive when she started asking questions.

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(credit: CBS)

"She turned that guy upside down," the woman's husband said. "I don't think that guy knew who the hell he was dealing with."

"It makes me angry that they have the nerve to do this to seniors," she said.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office says the couple, who does not wish to be identified, did the right thing by asking questions.

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Sgt. Jeff Engel (credit: CBS)

"If it's an IRS scam, the IRS is not going to call you. They send letters," said Sgt. Jeff Engel. "With the lottery, they say you won $200,000 and you just have to send us money. If you win the lottery, you're not going to send money to anybody."

Engel says if someone asks you for money, even gift cards, that's a big red flag.

This couple did not fall for the scam, but police say many people do.

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(credit: CBS)

 

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