A 77-year-old Hoquiam woman was scammed out of $15,000 in a case of telemarketing fraud, according to Hoquiam Police Chief Jeff Myers.

The woman informed police of the scam Friday. She told investigators a telemarketer contacted her and told her if she paid a $7,500 fee she would get a return of $60,000. The victim sent a check for that amount to an address in Georgia. A few days later the telemarketer called back and told the victim she had sent the check to the wrong address, so she sent another one for the same amount. According to Myers, both checks were immediately cashed and there was no way to stop payment.

“Whenever it is too good to be true, it is,” said Myers. “It is best to hang-up on scammers and never provide any personal information, cash or payments. It is important for family members to be aware of such contacts and calls, as scammers tend to victimize the elderly.”