Jewel employee helps thwart ‘grandparent scam’ in Palos Park

An employee of a southwest suburban grocery store helped foil a scam attempt recently.

Officers were sent to Jewel, 9652 W. 131st St, when an Orland Park man was nearly the victim of a “grandparent scam,” Palos Park police said in a statement Tuesday.

The man was on the phone with an “attorney” named “Mr. Perez” who was supposedly helping the man’s grandson, police said. The imposter told the man his grandson was in a bad car accident in Wisconsin and was waiting for the man to confirm the transfer of $2,425 in bail money.

A Jewel employee caught wind of the deal and called authorities, police said. The number that called the Orland Park man was from a known scam number.

Grandparent scams target older adults, often by pretending to be their grandchild, or someone helping their grandchild, in a crisis, police said.