CHINA — Police say an elderly China woman was scammed out of $18,000 in cash by a caller who led her to believe he was her son-in-law, had been in an accident and needed the cash to get out of jail.

The woman, according to a news release from Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office, reported to police Friday she was told by a caller to get $18,000 in cash together and someone would come by the collect the money to use for bail. She was advised to wear a mask and put the cash in an envelope.

The woman told police a clean-cut white man of smaller build drove into her driveway in a black Cadillac Escalade SUV, which she said had lots of chrome and was fancy-looking, with New York registration plates. She handed him the money and he drove away.

Anyone with information on the crime may contact Detective Sgt. Scott Mills at 207-623-3614 extension 1254.

Similar scams have also, in recent years, involved callers making false claims to try to get money out of people.