A Scam
Based on “Relative-ity” Targets
Grandparent
A
scam called the “grandparent scam” or “grandchild scam” is currently targeting
seniors in a scheme that is becoming more prevalent
across the US. The con-artists pose as a grandchild and try
to convince victims to wire cash to help pay for emergency car repairs, medical
bills – or even post bail.
This
week, a
grandmother was called by a person who identified himself as her grandson. He told her that he had been in a car
accident in Canada,
had injured his lip and head, and needed money to be wired immediately so he
could get help. She withdrew $2,500 from
her bank account and went immediately to Walmart to wire the money.
Fortunately,
the Walmart employee questioned her about wanting to wire money to Canada, and
informed her that she had recently tried to talk another individual out of
doing the same thing - but that consumer would not listen to her. After hearing
this, the grandmother called her grandson at work and confirmed that he was not
in Canada
and had not been in an accident.
Although no money was lost, the potential victim stated, “I was very
distressed about how close I came to being scammed.”
The
FTC reports that the number of complaints about this type of scam is on the
rise. In some cases, the scammers know the names of family members and manage a
good impersonation. In others, they trick a grandparent into giving up a
grandchild’s name. The callers often claim to be in Canada and ask that money be wired
there. Sometimes, a third person gets in the act, pretending to be a police
officer or bondsman to “confirm” the bogus story. Sometimes they pose as the grandchild's Lawyer.
The cons tend to seek out elderly people who
might have trouble recognizing voices over the phone. Because the scammers usually
claim to be humiliated and ask to keep the incident a secret, victims neglect
to verify the story before sending money. Also, victims often do not report
being scammed because they are embarrassed. Those that have reported the scam
say they have lost several thousand dollars!
BBB
offers some tips to help detect this scam and avoid falling for it:
1. Try to verify the caller’s identity by asking personal questions a
stranger couldn’t know, and don’t fill in the blanks for the scammer. For example:
Caller:
"It's your granddaughter/grandson."
Grandparent: "Which one?"
Most likely, the scammer will then hang up.
2. Do whatever is necessary to confirm the real relative’s whereabouts. Call
your grandchild’s home, school or work.
3. Don’t send money unless you have verified that your relative is
really in trouble. If a caller asks for your bank account number or
urges you to send money via Western Union or
MoneyGram for any reason, that’s a good indication of a scam.
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