SC grocery store worker helps elderly woman avert a pricey scam, sheriff says
A grocery store worker saved an elderly woman from a scam that would’ve cost the unsuspecting victim thousands of dollars, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
On Feb. 11, a woman, who remains unidentified, received a call from someone claiming to be her son’s lawyer, according to a news release. The caller told the woman that the woman’s son had been involved in a traffic crash and had been arrested. The caller advised the victim she needed to pay $5,000 to bond her son out of jail, the release said.
The woman was instructed to deposit the money into the “green machine” at a Food Lion located at 5118 Fairfield Road.
As the woman remained on the phone with the scammer, she attempted to send the $5,000 before Amanda Greenlaw — an assistant manager at the grocery store — noticed what was happening, and stopped the victim.
Greenlaw advised the woman to contact law enforcement, which prompted a response from the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
In recognition of her intervention, Sheriff Leon Lott presented Greenlaw with a Certificate of Appreciation “for going above and beyond in her community and protecting a vulnerable person in a time of need,” the release said.
