A Lawrence woman who says she was the target of a phone scam wants to alert the public so others can avoid being tricked.

Lavivian Drake, 78, of Lawrence, said she received a phone call Monday from someone claiming to be her grandson. The caller said he was in “serious trouble” in Montreal and needed money.

Drake realized she was speaking to an imposter when he mentioned his name was John, which is not the name of her grandson. But this common phone scam tactic has tricked others out of thousands of dollars in the past.

Sgt. Trent McKinley of the Lawrence Police Department said enough information on a person’s family and friends can be found on social media to pull off the con.

“If the name of the grandson is right, I think they would fall for it,” Drake said. “I just don’t want anything bad to happen to people.”

Drake said she does not know of anyone else in Lawrence who has received a similar call; however the Journal-World has reported on similar scams before.

The Office of the Kansas Attorney General recommends that people call its Consumer Protection Division at 800-432-2310 or visit InYourCornerKansas.org to report suspicious calls. It’s also important to file a report with local police, McKinley said.

“In most situations a copy of our police report is required as the victim works with banks and credit card companies to dispute fraudulent charges,” McKinley said, referring to cases of identity theft.