Florida man charged with trying to scam elderly Chicago area resident

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Florida man has been charged with trying to scam an elderly person in north suburban Lake Forest out of thousands of dollars by pretending to be her grandson and claiming he needed bail money.

Lake Forest police said officers responded to the 1200 block of Sheridan Road on Thursday morning for a report of possible elder fraud.

Investigators learned Luc Vautier, of Ocala, Florida, had impersonated the victim's grandson, and told them he'd been arrested after getting into a traffic crash, and needed $12,000 to get out of jail.

Officers learned Vautier was coming to the victim's home to get the money, and arrested him at the front door of the house when he showed up.

He has been charged with two counts of theft by deception, and was due to make his first court appearance on Friday.

Detectives also have connected Vautier to a similar scam earlier in the week in Lake Forest, and are assisting other law enforcement agencies with investigations of such scams.