The Call That Said My Grandson Was in Jail (Continued)

He stumbled, because of course he didn’t know Eric’s name. I asked him which jail, which officer, what the charge was, and with every question his story fell apart a little more.

Then a second man came on, pretending to be a ‘bail officer,’ demanding I buy gift cards. That’s when I stopped being sweet.

‘Let me ask you something,’ I said. ‘This is your job? Calling old women and pretending to be their grandbabies to scare them out of their savings? That’s how you feed your family?’

He actually went quiet. I kept him talking another ten minutes, long enough to jot down everything, and I reported all of it to the fraud line the next morning.

I sent them exactly zero dollars. And Eric, when he came downstairs and I told him, laughed so hard he cried. If a voice on the phone ever cries and rushes you and begs for secrecy, hang up and call your family directly. These people are counting on your love. Don’t let them use it.