Arrests made after Norwood grandma scammed out of thousands, police say

Two people have been arrested after a Norwood grandmother was scammed out of nearly $20,000, police said.

Police say a woman in her 80s got a call from someone pretending to be an attorney, claiming her grandson was arrested and he needed $9,000 to get out.

The woman withdrew the money -- she was asked to mail it -- and when she refused, a courier came to pick it up.

Then the next day, the woman got a second call for another $10,000. The same thing happened.

When she got a third call, her family called police.

They put her house under surveillance, and when two men came to pick up the money, they were arrested.

20-year-old Mark Gabra and 21-year-old Ali Almashhadani, both of New York, were charged with conspiracy to receive stolen property and attempt to commit larceny.

Norwood’s police chief said these scams are common and people should be on alert.

“Any time someone asks you to put cash in a package and ship it that’s a no-no, no one legitimate asks you to do that in this particular ‘I’m under arrest’ scam. Call the person who is under custody and call your local police and they can figure out if that person has been arrested,” said Norwood Police Chief William Brooks.

An investigation is ongoing.

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