A Providence woman who police say attempted to scam an elderly Tiverton resident out of $16,000 has been charged with felony obtaining money under false pretenses and felony conspiracy.

Luz Henriquez, 29, was arrested Wednesday, May 18, after police said the victim contacted them. He told police that he had received a call from an individual claiming to be his grandson, who said he had been in an accident and had been arrested. The caller was convincing, the resident told police, and said that in a subsequent phone call a person claiming to be the grandson's attorney asked for $9,000 to pay the grandson's bail. He instructed the resident to get the money from the bank and then give it to a courier who would come to his home. The resident agreed, went to the bank to withdraw the money, and handed the money over later.

Several hours later, the resident received a second call from the purported attorney, asking for an additional $7,000 to settle the case, police said. The resident agreed again and went back to the bank to withdraw the funds. But at the bank, a teller became suspicious of the withdrawals, and asked him to speak with the police before taking any more money out. The resident also called his grandson, who confirmed that he was fine, hadn't been in an accident or been arrested, and that the calls were a scam.

Meanwhile, police worked with the resident, who agreed to arrange for the delivery of the additional funds under police surveillance. Later that evening, police took custody of Henriquez when she arrived and attempted to pick up the additional $7,000. She was arraigned in Newport District Court, and the case is being referred to the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office for prosecution.

Said police:

"This serves as another reminder to please speak with elderly relatives and friends about the dangers of scam calls and the devastating financial impacts.  An excellent job done by our officers, detectives, and the heads-up bank teller for directing the resident to us.