An Uber driver and an 83-year-old were tricked by the same scammer. The result was deadly
A jury convicted an 83-year-old Ohio man of murder in the shooting of an Uber driver who he wrongly thought was trying to rob him after scam phone calls deceived them both.
William J. Brock fatally shot the driver after wrongly assuming she was in on a plot to get $12,000 in supposed bond money for a relative, authorities said.
The driver fell victim to the same scammer, driving to Brock’s home between Dayton and Columbus to pick up a package for delivery, according to investigators.
Brock shot the driver, 61-year-old Lo-Letha Toland-Hall of Dublin, a Columbus suburb, six times when she showed up at his home in March 2024, authorities said.
Brock, of South Charleston, was convicted of murder, felonious assault and kidnapping Wednesday. He is scheduled to be sentenced next week. A message seeking comment was left with his attorney.
Brock’s attorney said the shooting was in self-defense and the scammer had made threats against him and his family. Brock testified during the trial that he felt threatened when the driver arrived at his house.
But prosecutors said Hall was unarmed and posed no threat when Brock shot her. Investigators said the driver was unaware of the scam call that Brock had received with threats and demands for money.
Grandparent scams have become increasingly common in the last 10 to 15 years — in part because of the abundance of personal information available about people online.
Criminals retrieve specific details about someone’s relative on social media and use the information to convince victims that their loved one is in trouble, said Pratkanis, whose research includes fraud crimes.
Clark County Prosecutor Daniel Driscoll told reporters after the verdict that both families lost loved ones because of the scam.
“The really sad part about this is that we know there are still criminals out there,” he said. “We know that the scammers, the folks who started this, haven’t been brought to justice.”
An obituary for Hall after her death described her as the parent of a son and a stepson, a devoted member of her church and a talented cook known for delicious pound cakes.
She retired from Ohio’s Regional Income Tax Agency and also worked in behavioral health, at a school and for Uber. She studied horticulture at Ohio State and started a janitorial business.
At a memorial service that was streamed online, her son Mario Hall spoke of how close they were even though they lived in different states, often speaking on the phone multiple times a day. He said they “had a bond like no other.”
“Thank you for all your sacrifices and all the things you have instilled in me,” he said. “You are the best mom that anyone could ask for. And I promise to continue to make you proud.”
