These people are very very good In spite of what we knew about this scam, we fell for it. I don't know how many victimsare willing to admit it because believe me our ego is completly deflated. They play on the emotions and even more so in our case they called on the day before Thanksgiving. emphasizing the urgency of the matter.

An acquaintance received a call from this number, and the public defender was Richard Carmichael..

This scam just happened to my mother-in-law THIS MORNING.  Everything exactly as the people below described. "Public Defender" Stanley Crawford will call you AFTER speaking with your loved one who says "they're a little shook up after the accident so they might no sound like themselves".  The guy is very slick, really believable, saying he just got out of court, no charges, just need to pay the restitution $1800 to get him out of jail and back at work tomorrow. Very, very good. I agree with people below, TELL YOUR GRANDPARENTS and older parents, because this is REAL.  I'm kind of shocked that we almost fell for it.

Just happened to my parents.  Person called impersonating their grandson (very convincingly) in jail (DUI) with one phone call.  He requested $2400 to get grandson out of jail with nothing on permanent record.  Unfortunately, she sent it - to Bolivia.  Very sad. --- needless to say grandson is not in jail.  Beware!!

This "Stanley Crawford" called my mom and tried to get $2800 for a lie about me being in jail! These scam artists are causing chaos!! Beware of the excuses (having a cold, a one time call) and do not give them money! I am going to report it and hope they go to jail!

My Grandmother got the same call this morning. They wanted $1800. She was on to the scam, and lead the guy on. When he called back for the third time she gave Stanley Crawford (or what ever his real name was) an earfull and hung up on him. The funny thing is, she has the same last name Veronica. They must be working a list. These idiots have no respect for the elderly and deserve to rot in hell.

Exactly the same tactics as Janine Harnell relates from Nov. 15th were tried with my parents this morning! Someone inpersonated my 14 year old SON in a call to my parents and gave a long and frighteningly persuasive story to his grandparents concerning his being in jail and needing to re-pay the foreign national whose rental care he purportedly hit while out driving drunk in the middle of last night! Then "Stanely Crawford, "the "public defender"  who had purpotedly represented my son at a plea hearing that had already taken place, got on the phone and requested $2400 to reimburse the rental car company for the "damages" my son caused. Who was, by the way, in bed at the time this was to have all taken place, although unbeknownst to my terrified parents at that time.Thank you for this site!! Very helpful in reassuring us that this was huge attemot to de-fraud us! I have also since learned that this scam is a state-sponsored one run by an African nation to raise revenue and has been occuring for a number of YEARS!