Highlands County deputies warn residents of new twist to 'grandparent scam'

SEBRING (FOX 13) - Highlands County deputies are warning residents of a "new twist" to an old scam.

Investigators said a man, who calls himself "David Goldberg, public defender," has been contacting Highlands County residents claiming to represent a grandchild who is in legal trouble. They said it's basically an updated version of the common "grandparent" scam, which is when somebody calls, claiming to be a grandchild who is in legal trouble in a foreign country. That scammer then requests money to bail them out.

Deputies said the scam involving a fake public defender has called from several numbers, including 236-838-4445 (British Columbia) and 210-294-9525 (San Antonio, Texas).

"So, unless he has a REALLY fast private jet," deputies said on the Highlands County Sheriff's Office Facebook page," those numbers are bogus."