Loudon County Sheriff's Office reports arrest of scammer targeting grandparents

LOUDON — Loudon County Sheriff’s Office detectives and deputies reportedly arrested Valerie Soki Hangi from Quebec City in mid-October.

Hangi took part in scamming at least $60,000 in cash from three separate victims between Loudon and Monroe counties, according to information provided by the LCSO.

HOW IT WORKS

The Sheriff’s Office said that it has received multiple calls about a new scam that is currently targeting grandparents. The scammer will call, act as if they are the grandchild of the victim, and convince the victim that they (the supposed grandchild) have been arrested and need money for bail.

The scammer is even using the same nicknames that the grandchild would call the grandparent (Grandpa, Mamaw, etc.) that helps further convince the victim that they are actually the victim’s grandchild. The scammer then puts their “attorney” on the phone with the victim for them to give information about the “case” that the supposed grandchild is involved in.

After convincing the unsuspecting victim to withdraw cash, the scammer sets up a time to have a courier (in this case, reportedly Valerie Hangi) drive to the victim’s home and pick up the large sum of cash.

ARREST MADE EN ROUTE TO $20K PICKUP

Hangi was arrested from a traffic stop while on her way to make another $20,000 cash pickup, authorities said. Inside the maroon Kia Forte that Hangi was driving, was a large sum of money “that is consistent with the amounts and denominations scammed from the victims,” law enforcement officials said.

Hangi and the Kia Forte she was driving were identified by victims in multiple cases.

During this investigation, it was reported that Hangi flew into the Nashville International Airport on Oct. 14. Hangi began making cash pickups as early as Oct. 15, local authorities say, and continued making cash pickups until she was arrested two days later.

LCSO stated that it’s confident there are more victims who have been scammed by Valerie Hangi. If you or anyone you know were scammed by this suspect, call the Sheriff’s Office non-emergency dispatch at 865-458-9081.

The cases referenced in this release took place in the Tellico Village Community, according to reports.

“The Loudon County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Jimmy Davis would like to thank our law enforcement partners with the 9th Judicial District Drug Task Force, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations — and U.S. Customs and Border Protection,” a press release stated. “As this case evolves, we expect more local, state and federal agencies to become involved.”