A senior citizen in Clark County, Ohio, has been charged with murder after fatally shooting an Uber driver outside his home. Both individuals were allegedly targeted by telephone scammers demanding money from the confused old man, who is the same age as President Joe Biden.
Authorities determined that William Brock, 81, received a phone call from a scammer concerning an incarcerated relative, which eventually turned into threats and demands for cash. The same scammer or an accomplice contacted Uber driver Lo-Letha Hall, 61, and instructed her to pick up a package from Brock's residence.
The situation quickly spiraled out of control. When the Uber driver asked Brock about the package she was supposed to retrieve, the 81-year-old pulled out a gun and demanded to know who was responsible for the threatening phone call. A scuffle ensued during which Brock shot Hall three times in a fit of rage as she attempted to reenter her vehicle.
It's a tragic example of what has become an increasingly common criminal ploy. Elderly individuals are often targeted because they are more easily duped and more likely to answer phone calls from strange numbers. Calls involving a grandchild or relative are among the most common scams aimed at elderly adults, according to the National Institute on Aging.
It is not known whether Biden, 81, has been victimized by phone scammers since taking office, though his public remarks suggest a tenuous grasp of reality that would make him especially vulnerable. Reports indicate Biden is also susceptible to fits of rage, a common symptom of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The president has frequently lost his tempter and lashed out at White House aides, many of whom have grown fearful of meeting with Biden alone.