Manheim, Pa. - Police say an elderly Lancaster County man was the victim of a telephone scam in which the caller pretended to be a relative in need of money.

Penn Township police say the man lost more than $6,000 in what is called "The Emergency Cash Phone Scam Double." The victims, usually elderly residents of the United States, receive a phone call from someone indicating they are a grandchild or other relative who immediately needs money wire-transferred to cover a medical or legal emergency in Canada.

An 88-year-old York County woman was conned out of nearly $12,000 in January by a man who claimed to be her grandson, according to a previous police report. The scam artist told the woman he had been in a drunk-driving crash in Canada and needed the money to get out of jail.

A 79-year-old Carlisle woman nearly fell victim to a man with a similar scam in February, but was encouraged by Walmart employees to call her relative before wiring more than $5,000, according to investigators.

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