Cops: Cab Driver Saved Woman, 92, From Scam

An elderly woman in northern California would have had her bank account cleaned out by scammers if it wasn't for a conscientious cab driver, police say. Officers say the 92-year-old woman told Roseville Cab owner Raj Singh that she was going to the bank to withdraw $25,000 to give to the IRS, the New York Times reports. She told him that somebody she didn't know had called her and said she owed the money. Singh warned the woman that it might be a scam but she refused to believe him, even after he called the person who had contacted her, who claimed not to know the woman, CNN reports. She finally agreed to stop at the Roseville Police Station, where officers convinced her that she was being swindled by somebody posing as an IRS agent.

"I am an honest guy, and these are old people. They need help," Singh says. "It just made sense." Roseville police praised the cabbie in a Facebook post. "We love this story because several times throughout, Raj could have just taken his customer to her stop and not worried about her wellbeing," they 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. His quick thinking saved a senior citizen $25,000 and for that, we greatly appreciate his efforts. " Police thanked Singh with a $50 gift card. The IRS has some tips on avoiding scams here. (This fraudster in Italy spent two years hiding out in convents.)