HARLINGEN - A Harlingen woman said she almost fell victim to phony calls targeting elderly people.

Resident Elia Zamora Hernandez said she received a strange phone call around noon on Wednesday. She said a young man on the other line tried to trick her into believing he was her grandchild.

Hernandez is a grandmother, but she said her grandchildren are still in grade school.

“I said, ‘Who is this?’ and he said, ‘Who do you think?’, and I said, ‘I think you got the wrong number,’” she said. “Grandparents are going to do whatever for their grandkids, and I think that this person was just fishing for a grandma who would just fall into this little trap of his and use her to get money.”

Hernandez said she’s glad her elderly mother didn’t answer because she believes she may have fallen for the trap.

The grandmother is warning others to be alert and smart about what information they give out over the phone.