Cab driver saves 92-year-old woman from $25,000 scam, police say
Raj Singh was told that she was headed to the bank to take out money she owed to the IRS
Police in Northern California are crediting a cab driver with helping save a 92-year-old woman from becoming the victim of a scam that would have cost her tens of thousands of dollars.
The woman had called Raj Singh, who owns Roseville Cab, to pick her up from her home in Sun City and drive her to the bank, Roseville police said in a Facebook post.
While they were en route, the woman told Singh that she was heading there to take out $25,000 that she owed to the IRS, police said.
Singh thought the story sounded suspicious and told the woman it might be a scam, but she didn't believe him, according to investigators.
He told CNN that his suspicions were further raised during the incident, which took place about two weeks ago, when the woman informed him that someone she didn't know had called her and asked her for the money.
"We called this number again and I asked the man, 'Do you know this lady?' He said no," Singh said. "I knew something was wrong."
The woman still didn't believe that she was being swindled, but after Singh pleaded with her to reconsider, she agreed to stop at the Roseville Police Station with him, police said.
While the woman waited in the car, Singh entered the station and spoke with an officer, who then went out to the cab and spoke with the woman.
All parties eventually concluded that the $25,000 request was a scam, and Singh took the woman back home, police said.
"We love this story because several times throughout, Raj could have just taken his customer to her stop and not worried about her wellbeing," police wrote. "He took time from his day and had the great forethought to bring the almost-victim to the police station for an official response."
Authorities have provided Singh with a $50 gift card to say thank you, police said.