DADADEL
An old man, desperate, rushed into Walmart, pleading with an employee for immediate help. However, upon one glance, she swiftly refused, uttering, “No way.“ His confusion peaked as he inquired why she wouldn’t assist, his jaw-dropping when she revealed the reason.
Cecil Rodgers, an elderly resident of Cincinnati, Ohio, anticipated a joyful gathering with his family, including his adult grandchildren, at his Elmwood Place residence. However, his excitement was interrupted by a distressing phone call. On the line was Rodgers’ eldest grandson, delivering alarming news. “A voice comes on and says, ‘Papaw, this is your oldest grandson. I’m in trouble,’” Rodgers recalled.
The unsettling call continued with Rodgers’ grandson disclosing a troubling incident. “He said, ‘I hit a woman’s car and she was seven months pregnant. And they charged me with drunken driving and I’m in jail,’” Rodgers recounted the conversation. Soon after, a lawyer took over the call, outlining an assistance plan. Rodgers was instructed to visit Walmart and transfer $2,300 to another location, where the lawyer assured him it would be used to secure the grandson’s release from jail.
Upon receiving reassurance from his lawyer, the old man wasted no time, eagerly heading to his local Evandale Walmart, believing everything would be resolved once he obtained the money. However, his encounter with Audrella Taylor at the cashier’s line disrupted his plans.
Having withdrawn the necessary funds from an ATM, Rodgers approached the cashier to complete the transaction as instructed. To his surprise, Audrella, whom he expected to comply with his request, stood firm in denying the transaction. Unexpectedly, this obstruction turned out to be a blessing in disguise, for which he was profoundly grateful.
Fortunately, Cecil Rodgers confided in Audrella about his grandson’s crisis. As he began recounting the situation, the cashier intervened, sensing something amiss. Observing the determined elderly man before her, Audrella’s suspicions were validated, and she was proven right.
While the old man harbored noble intentions, the same couldn’t be said for the caller posing as his grandson. It surfaced that the voice on the other end wasn’t Rodgers‘ actual grandson. Moreover, the subsequent individual claiming to be a lawyer was also part of the ruse. These were skilled scammers adept at exploiting the vulnerabilities of the elderly, executing what’s infamously known as the “grandparent scam.”
“He said something about somebody was locked up in jail, he got a call, and he needed to come in to send $2,000,” Audrella recalled. “I said, ‘Well, I am going to refuse the sender. I’m not going to let you send that money because I think you’ve been scammed.‘”
Audrella elaborated that her initial suspicion arose from the fact that the call originated from the purported grandson to his grandfather, rather than to the young man’s mother. “Given that his daughter hadn’t been notified yet, it seemed improbable that the grandson’s need was genuine; usually, a mother would be contacted first,“ she reasoned. Advising Rodgers to pause, gather himself, and contact other family members, she anticipated he would discover his grandson’s safety. As anticipated, Rodgers found out that his grandson was safe at college.
There was no car crash, nor was his grandson incarcerated. The phone call was a deceptive ploy, with a purported lawyer persuading the old man to act hastily and keep it under wraps to spare his grandson’s dignity. Sadly, this prevented Rodgers from uncovering the truth. Thankfully, a vigilant cashier prevented a financial disaster.
Grateful and with limited means, the elderly man praises the Walmart employee for thwarting a potential loss of over $2,000. Rodgers views Taylor as a savior, a sentiment shared by the store manager. Manager Dominic Gross commends Audrella and their customer service team for their vigilance, stating they now educate cashiers on scam indicators like large money transfers or excessive gift card purchases.
Con artists frequently exploit individuals, particularly the elderly, for financial gain. Audrella’s proactive approach to preventing scams by gathering information sets her apart. This tale not only commends her but also serves as a cautionary reminder about the prevalence of scams and the importance of vigilance.
