Tell Your Parents
This column is actually about Grandparents. It’s a heads up that you, as parents, might want to have a discussion with your parents about the Grandparent Scam. It is basically a scheme whereby scammers bypass you, the parent, and go straight to the grandparents about some trouble their grandson/granddaughter is in, and if given money, the grandchildren will be all right.
I probably don’t need to tell you most grandparents would do almost anything for their grandkids. But who’s looking out for the grandparents – that’s why I suggest you should inform your parents of the Grandparent Scam. Most of the balance of this article is from the Alberta Provincial Rural Crime Watch Association website which describes this scheme well and how it can be thwarted.
“The “grandparent scam” is a malicious trick that is used by criminals when they set their sights on seniors with grandchildren. While the senior population grows, so does their vulnerability to financial fraud. Seniors are targeted for a variety of reasons, they have more available finances, they can be very trusting, they are eager to help someone in need, they are retired which can create more free time, and they may not be as tech-savvy making them vulnerable to fraudsters.
This type of scam can vary, but in general, this is how it works:
- A senior will receive a phone call from someone who starts the conversation with, “Grandma? Do you know who this is?”
- The victim, thinking it’s one of their grandchildren, will respond with, “Yes, I know it’s you (name of the grandchild).” The caller will then start using this name to gain credibility with the victim.
- The caller will claim to be in trouble and will request money right away. Sometimes they’ll say they were in a car accident with a rental car, or they are under arrest and in jail in another city or country. The “grandchild” will tell the victim the doesn’t want their parents to know and ask the victim to keep it a secret.
- To make the story seem more credible, the caller might also put another person on the phone to act like a police officer, bail bondsman, or lawyer.
- The victim, wanting to help, will withdraw funds from their bank account and wire money to the “grandchild”. The money will be sent through a money transfer service, such as Western Union or MoneyGram, where the criminal can then pick it up at any location across the world.
How you can protect yourself:
- Seniors can protect themselves from this type of scam by never offering information to the caller.
- Don’t give details about your family or the names of your grandchildren, ask the caller for details.
- Ask for details on specific locations, ask for them to repeat the story, the criminal will have a hard time recalling details on the spot.
- Ask the caller a few personal questions that a real grandchild could answer but an imposter could not.
- After you hang up, verify the story by calling the parents or other relatives of the “grandchild.”
- Never wire money to someone under uncertain conditions. It is nearly impossible to recover or trace money that has been wired.
- Never provide your credit card number over the telephone or Internet unless you are sure about who you’re giving it to.
What should you do if you are a victim of fraud or a scam?
Never be embarrassed if you think you are the victim of a scam. Reporting is crucial to help prevent others from becoming victims. If you do not report, law enforcement does not have the information they need to prevent the crime from happening again or to pursue the criminals responsible. Report scams and frauds by calling the police on the non-emergency line. (*NOT 911*)”
I’ll leave it to you to figure out how to tactfully approach your parents and make them aware of this increasingly popular scam. One avenue is to watch, with them, the 6.5-minute YouTube video “Fraud Prevention/Craig’s Story”. It’s a well-done folksy video of a grandparent who was approached by this scam in the Red Deer/ Lacombe Rural Crime Watch area in late 2021/early 2022.
Dave Schroeder
HCRCWA Board Member
