JAMESTOWN, N.D. - Jamestown police are praising employees of two stores who kept a woman from getting scammed out of $2,700 by refusing to allow her to wire money to Canada.
Police say 84-year-old Bernice Wipperling of Carrington was told her grandson needed money to get out of a Canadian jail. She later found out it was part of a so-called "grandparent scam" known to prey on older people.
Wipperling said she and her husband, Wilfred, withdrew the money, drove to Jamestown and headed to a Walmart Supercenter. But employee Christina Butts refused to wire their money. Butts said the employees are trained to try to protect people who appear to be victims.
The Wipperlings then drove to Hugo's grocery store in Jamestown. Butts called Chasta Mansavage, the Hugo's office manager, to warn her.
Mansavage said she told the Wipperlings their grandson probably was not even in Canada. They then called their daughter, who confirmed that their grandson was in school in Fargo.
