As unwanted calls continue to proliferate, many mobile phone users have simply stopped answering the phone. But new technology is on the horizon that could sharply cut the number of scam and spam calls we all receive daily. NBC Bay Area Consumer Investigator Chris Chmura reports.
A 24-year-old Fremont man was arrested Wednesday in connection with a phone scam targeting elderly residents across the country, Santa Clara police said Friday.
Police in Richland, Montana, contacted Santa Clara police on Wednesday to tell them a 77-year-old man had been instructed to send $20,000 in bail money for his grandson to a Santa Clara address.
Officers set up surveillance at the pickup location and saw Vamshidhar Reddy Kotla arrive and retrieve the package at 6:04 a.m., police said. Kotla was detained and later arrested.
Police identified four other victims during their investigation and retrieved $28,000 in cash from the suspect's home. Kotla is believed to be a member of a group which targets and runs scams on elderly residents.
Police said residents should be wary of calls demanding money over the phone and call police at (408) 615-4700 when in doubt.
Further information from the state attorney general about scams involving elders can be found at https://oag.ca.gov/consumers/general/seniors.
