A Putnam Street resident contacted police after receiving a phone call from a man claiming to be her grandson who said he had been arrested in Cancun, Mexico and needed $4,200 for bail.

Police responded to the call on Tuesday, July 19 and spoke with the resident who said she had received the call between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. that morning. The woman said that another person had called claiming to be an attorney representing her grandson; he told her to send the bail money through Western Union.

The woman told police she realized it was a scam and was able to cancel the transaction before any money was sent, according to reports.

Police advised the resident that it was a common scam and suggested she conduct regular credit checks and report any further suspicious calls.

Other incidents reported recently by the Needham Police Department:

R.I. Residents Charged with Attempted Larceny

Four Rhode Island residents are being charged with attempted larceny after they allegedly attempted to open fraudulent accounts at the Needham Citibank on Friday, July 22.

Employees at the bank on Highland Avenue alerted police to the situation around 11:10 a.m. After an investigation, police charged three Cranston, R.I. residents—ages, 39, 38 and 21—with attempted larceny. A 20-year-old Providence, R.I. resident is also being charged with attempted larceny, plus operating an unregistered and uninsured motor vehicle and attaching plates, according to reports.

Woman Receives Suspicious Phone Calls

A Pilgrim Road resident contacted police on Friday, July 22 after receiving suspicious phone calls—about 10 daily for the past week.

The resident said the calls typically start around 8:30 a.m. and continue as late as 10:00 p.m. When she answers the call, there is no response on the other end. The resident said she had tried calling the number back but got a voice message saying the voicemail box for that number is full, according to police reports.

Credit Cards Opened without Authorization

A Washington Avenue resident reported that someone had opened and used credit cards in his name.

The resident contacted police on Monday, July 18 and said that he had received several credit cards in the mail that he had not opened. When he called the credit card companies, he was told that the available credit had already been used and that someone had applied for the cards on July 11 in Framingham, according to reports.

The resident was told to contact his financial institutions and to monitor his accounts for any further suspicious activity.