Mother says scam artist took advantage of her son with special needs

DeKalb County, Ga. — A mother told Channel 2 Action News her 20-year-old son, who has Asperger's syndrome, was taken advantage of by a scammer.

The woman, who asked not to be identified, said the man offered her son a job and said he would give him a check right away if he had a bank account.

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The mother told Ch. 2's Carl Willis her son, Abdul, was walking to the park when he encountered a man who pulled over and offered him a ride.

"He asked if I was looking for a job because I looked professional," Abdul said.

It turned out to be an intricate scheme to cash a fraudulent check.

Abdul has challenges with social interaction and communication. He didn't realize until later that the man had used his banking app on his phone to make a mobile deposit.

Abdul became confused and got out of the car. He then called his mother.

The man left but kept calling Abdul's phone.

"The first thing I thought is, "They've done something wrong, these people, and now they've involved my son's name and he could possibly go to jail.' He doesn't even understand who the people are," Abdul's mother said.

The family alerted the bank and voided the deposit but Abdul's mother said others have been approached with a similar ruse.

They want to warn others.

"It is a little concerning because I don't know who the person was," the mother said.

Cox Media Group