A woman from Quebec, Canada, identified as Valerie Hangi, was arrested on Thursday after allegedly scamming thousands of dollars from three victims in Loudon and Monroe counties. According to the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO), they received multiple reports regarding a scam targeting grandparents.
In this scheme, Hangi posed as a victim’s grandchild, claiming to be in jail and needing bail money. To further convince victims, she used familiar nicknames and even connected them with a supposed “attorney” who provided details about the fabricated case.
Once persuaded, the victims withdrew significant sums of cash, reportedly $20,000 each. Hangi arranged for a courier to pick up the cash from the victims’ homes.
Hangi was apprehended after a traffic stop while heading to another cash pickup in Tellico Village. Deputies discovered a large amount of cash in her possession that matched the amounts reported by the victims.
Investigations revealed that Hangi had flown to Nashville on October 14 and began making cash pickups as early as October 15, continuing until her arrest on October 17.