By Roger Lanse
A 72-year-old female on Cielo Azul Street fell victim to a scam call the morning of Monday, Nov. 16, 2020, according to a Silver City Police Department report narrative. The victim did not report the fraud until Wednesday, Nov. 18, at which time an SCPD officer was dispatched to the victim's address at about 8:46 a.m.
The narrative states the victim advised she received the phone call from New Jersey and a male told her his name was Mark Stevens, an attorney, and he advised her that her grandson Derek had been arrested and Stevens needed $3,000 to get the grandson released on his own recognizance. The victim, the narrative stated, said she would call him back as she was still in bed. When she did, she told him she could only raise about $1,000. The male said that was okay and once he received the payment he would speak with the local district attorney and have her grandson released.According to the narrative, the victim sent Stevens two Money Pak cards of $480 and $470 that Monday morning. The victim advised she felt it strange for her grandson to be in New Jersey, when he lives in Arizona and only travels to Silver City and to Colorado, so she called him and he advised her he was not in New Jersey.
The responding officer attempted, the narrative said, to call the phone number Stevens had left with the victim but had negative contact. The victim advised she had borrowed the money from World Finance and would be calling them about the incident.