MONROE COUNTY, Mich. — Monroe County authorities are asking for the public's assistance in locating a person who they say is responsible for scamming a grandmother in Summerfield Township.
The senior citizen was contacted by phone on Oct. 17, by a person who identified themself as "James Marcus" with the Dundee Police Department, according to a press release from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. The suspect told the victim that her grandson was involved in a fatal traffic crash and needed bail money to get out of jail.
The victim went to the bank and withdrew money to get her grandson out of jail. The suspect arrived at the victim's home and collected the "bail money."
While the suspect was at the residence, the victim's doorbell camera captured video and photos.
The victim contacted her grandson after handing over the "bail money" and learned he was never involved in a traffic crash.
With help from the public, authorities were able to identify the suspect as Juan Romero from Berwyn, Illinois.
A warrant is out for Romero's arrest for false pretenses and embezzlement from a vulnerable adult.
Anyone with information on the case or regarding Romero's whereabouts is asked to contact Detective Robert Blair at 734-240-7274.
Anonymous tips can be called into Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAKUP or submitted online at www.1800speakup.org.
If a Monroe County resident encounters a situation, authorities ask that they call Monroe County Central Dispatch at 734-243-7070 to report the crime. Citizens outside of Monroe County should contact their local police department or sheriff's office.
The incident remains under investigation.
Authorities remind residents that no law enforcement agency will call citizens to demand money or face arrest for any reason.
Similar phone scams have circulated throughout the area, in which callers fraudulently identify themselves as local authorities - sometimes even college campus police - and say an individual or their loved one needs to pay for some form of legal trouble.
The scammers are able to spoof the phone numbers of law enforcement to add legitimacy to the phone call.
The scammers may ask for the "fine" or "bail money" to be paid in gift cards or digital currency and may tell the target to not tell anyone about the call.
Anyone who believes they may have fallen victim to this scam or any other scam is also encouraged to report the crime to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at this link.
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