WHO'S SCAMMING GRAMP?

I talk to my folks a lot. Every few days we touch base. My mom tells me what she's cooking for dinner in great detail. And if it's not hunting season the old man and I can cover everything from politics, to the economy, to family business. "Your sister said that the Farmer's almanac has been right all season. And February is supposed to be worse than January." He told me this at least five times. And every time I tell him to shut up. I don't want to hear it. Undeterred, a day later, he'll tell me again.
Last night, after informing me of February's impending shit storm again, he was just about to hang up, when I hear my mother's voice in the background. "Tell Michael about our scam." I thought they had an idea to make money by coming up with a good grift. But it was not their scam to which mom was referring. The old man had recieved a strange phone call from one of his granddaughters. The phone call that my father recieved went something like this.

"Hi Gramp. This is Wessey." (Wessey is my brother Duke's kid).
"Hi darlin'. What's going on?"
"Well Gramp, I'm in kind of a fix."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, some friend's and I went to Canada and we went shopping."
"Good for you. What's the problem?"
"Well Gramp. We got stopped at the border. And......well we hadn't declared the stuff and customs is making us pay tax and penalties on it all."
"How much?" Granddad asked.
"$2400."
"Together or for each?"
"Each." Wessy whined.

Now my father will do anything for his kids and grandkids....within reason.

"What do you need from me?"
"I'm sorry Gramp. Can you call this number and Canadian Customs will tell you what to do. They won't release us."

Then Wessy told him what border crossing she was at and a list of numbers to call. He wrote it all down and being a week shy of his 80th birthday and seeing out of one eye, he probably got the numbers wrong. He called some guy who told him to go to Hell and eventually gave up. Then he called Wessy's cell.

"Hi Gramp. Can I call you right back?" Wessy sounded busy.
"Where are you?" Gramp asked.
"I'm at work."
"In __________?" he asked.
"Yup."

BAM! The other caller was not Wessy. Gramp had been scammed. Or at least attempted to be scammed. Lucky for him he got the numbers wrong. He later found out the area code was for New Orleans. Then he went on to tell me how he went to the cops and they told him it happens all the time to the elderly and there was nothing they could do. Big surprise. This is a wake up call for all you geezers. It's a devious world out there. Be sure of who you're talking to. Just remember all pleas for bail or border crossing money may not be part of some plot to get into your bank account. Once in a while even the best of us can have a little trouble with the local gendarme. If the caller is sobbing uncontrollably it's probaby me. Don't hang up. And please send money. And if the Almanac is right, February's gonna be a pisser.