
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, November 24, 1995                   TAG: 9511240067
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

CON ARTISTS FAIL TO SCAM VA. MAN

A Virginia businessman was left shaken by a couple of con artists who tried to swindle him out of $1,100 by telling him his sister was lying in a hospital bed in a coma.

Bill Geier's sister, it turned out, was in a business meeting in Washington, D.C., and perfectly healthy.

The callers identified themselves last week as a police officer and a hospital employee. They told Geier that his sister was hospitalized after her car was sideswiped by a drunk trucker. Geier was asked to wire $1,100 to cover his sister's medical bills.

It took 20 minutes for Geier to realize what really was going on. The con artists got away, but without the money.

Several Washington-area police departments said they had not heard of the specific scam before, but they warned people to be wary of any caller who asks them to wire money.

``I've heard of situations somewhat similar, of asking for money to be wired,'' said Lucy Caldwell, a spokeswoman for the Virginia State Police. ``I would say that people's suspicions should be aroused whenever they're asked to wire money, no matter what the reason.''

Geier's family believes the con artists had seen his father's obituary, which was published last week in Washington newspapers. The obituary gave the names of the survivors and where they lived

- Associated Press

by CNB