Scamming Grandparents
By Bill MimsAnn’s phone rang in the middle of the night at her home in Richmond.
“Hi grandma,” the caller said. The line was full of static, but the frightened voice sounded familiar to Ann.
“Hi honey,” the grandmother replied.
“I’m in an emergency situation in a hospital in Canada,” the girl said. “But please don’t tell mom and dad.” She asked Grandma Ann to wire her money, gave her a number and instructions, and promised to reimburse when she got home.
Ann followed the instructions. It was too late to call around and wake people up to ask about this anyway, Ann figured.
The next day Ann spoke to her son, and learned that the granddaughter wasn’t actually out of town. Her thousands of dollars were gone forever.
She fell prey to a “grandparent scam” hitting Virginia.
“Stories like Ann’s are all too common,” said Jenni Aulgur, the director of TRIAD senior citizen outreach in the Attorney General’s Office. “Senior citizens need to know that this scam is prevalent in their community, and not to fall for it.”
If you get a call resembling this “grandparent scam,” follow these tips:
-- Ask the caller to be specific about identifying themselves, without you giving away any details. That alone will usually make the caller hang up.
-- Test the caller. Say something like “Oh, how’s Uncle Jim doing?” when there isn’t really an Uncle Jim. The caller will probably play along, then you’ll know it’s a fraud.
-- Call the person’s home to confirm if he or she is really out of town.
“If a senior has been victimized by this scam and wired money,” Aulgur advises, “contact your local law enforcement agency to file a report and alert your family to the situation."
Consumer protection is an important statutory duty of the Office of the Attorney General, and our staff can help. In an age of increased consumer issues, we all must continue to be educated and vigilant.
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