Grandparents Scam

In 2010 the Federal Trade Commission recorded more than 40,000 incidences of grandparent related scams.

With this scam, scammers contact elderly people and impersonate a family member or friend desperately in need of money due to a supposed emergency and convince the elderly person to send money quickly.

Most commonly the scammer will pretend to be a grandchild with the scammer attempting to confuse the facts, create panic, and get the grandparent to act on emotion. They want the grandparent to wire money quickly without thinking it through or asking questions.

The scammer's message will almost always include an urgent situation - I have been arrested, or mugged, or am in the hospital - Please help!

The scammer (acting as the grandchild) will insist that the grandparent not tell parents or anyone else about the embarrassing situation or the request for money. The supposed grandchild will play up the act by promising to pay the grandparents back.

The scammer's story tends to work best if they can convince the grandparent that they (the supposed grandchild) are traveling overseas or even in another state. This situation allows the scammer to confuse the facts about the local laws, act like the phone connection is poor, or to justify why the money must be sent by wire transfer.

If asked why their voice sounds funny, the scammer will usually claim that their nose or mouth was inured or the phone connection is poor.

Once the grandparent wires the money, more calls may follow, asking for even more money.

With this trick, the scammer will likely involve other callers to pose as police, attorneys, doctors, or bail bondsmen reconfirming the story and the claim for more money.

Calls may occur late at night or early in the morning to try and catch you when you are tired and not thinking clearly.

With the advancements in technology and social media sites, scammers are finding it easier to acquire personal information on the person they are claiming to be and/or of the grandparents they are calling.

Even with small pieces of information, scammers are very slick at getting elderly people to fill in the missing gaps for them. Examples:

1. If the caller says, "hi grandpa." Ask them "Who is calling?" Avoid saying, "Is that you Billy?"
2. If the caller says that "it's me, your grandson." Ask them "which one?"
3. If you know that the grandchild is actually traveling, do not ask them if they are still in Mexico, England, or etc. Instead, ask, "Where are you calling from?"