<p>Got this email from my father this morning: </p>
<p>A short while ago the phone rang and a male voice said, “Hi, Grandpa. You remember my friend Tyler.” He went on to tell me how Tyler’s father had gotten them a free trip to Cancun, etc. The gist of the pitch was that a nice couple had offered to drive them back to the airport. The car was stopped by the police who found drugs… About then I asked him if he was John (not his grandson’s name0 and said I thought he was still in Florida (not where my son lives). Right on both counts. When he referred to Tyler’s father again, I suggested they call him, and hung up.</p>
<p>This is a common scam out there and unfortunately with lots of Grandparents who have grandchildren scattered everywhere who they may not be in touch with, they are falling for it. Not sure how they are finding the grandparents, maybe through AARP records? My father is not great physically but is still pretty sharp mentally. He said the caller actually sounded like my son. He only has one grandson (total) and has actually seen my son fairly recently.</p>
<p>I visited my parents this weekend with the express purpose of chatting with my “new to the internet” 83 year old mom about scams. I did not know about this one. Looks like another visit is in order.</p>
<p>But Comer knew his daughter was in St. Paul, at her job as a supply clerk in a medical clinic. So he switched on the tape recorder connected to his phone line.</p>
<p>Next came a call from a woman claiming to be his daughter’s attorney, telling him to wire $5,300 to a “bailiff” in Dallas to put up bail. The lawyer also used his daughter’s maiden name, another tip-off she was an impostor.</p>
<p>Later, the fake attorney put an accomplice on the phone who claimed he was a prosecutor, who told Comer to follow the attorney’s instructions.</p>
<p>Often called the “grandparent scam,” because it typically targets seniors by those posing as teenaged or young adult grandchildren, this crime is well-known to law enforcement in the United States and Canada. A relative, in a desperate situation, needs money wired at once…"</p>
<p>My mom also got one of these calls, but, with 10 grandsons, she had to keep asking questions about who and what, the caller eventually hung up.
I think it’s easy to come up with a list of people to scam - searching real estate records, for instance, for people who have been in their homes a long time. There’ s a lot of information out there. Western Union has got to do something about this pipeline, but it’s probably less complicated for them legally if they keep their hands-off approach.</p>
<p>My mother got one of these calls and to her credit didn’t fall for it. But my sister’s MIL and FIL did fall for it an lost over a thousand dollars. They now lecture other seniors in the NYC area on how the scam works and how to avoid it.</p>
<p>NYMom, that is what I thought was so funny. That my Dad actually started toying with them and making up stuff “oh is this John? I thought you were in Florida?” Haha. Unfortunately lots of Grandparents do fall for it, as Delicate Arch’s post indicates.</p>
<p>I have heard that they get grandkids’ names from obits. Grandpa dies and the grandkids (first and last names plus town) are listed as survivors. Sooo–list number of grandkids in obits.</p>
<p>Ugh, an 89-year-old woman, a dear friend of my mom’s, got taken for $10,000 on this scam. Her only daughter was out of town (and out of reach) in the middle of the night when the call came that her grandson was in jail and they she needed her to authorize bail money. She panicked and gave the information. These scams make me sick and I hope these predators get payback someday in a big way.</p>
<p>Ebeeeeee I’m so glad they didn’t pull one over on your dad!</p>
<p>The lowest circle of Hell should be reserved for those who prey on the elderly. Imagine targeting a widow, using family names from her husband’s obituary! Truly depraved.</p>
<p>They don’t even have to go through the trouble of going through obits. These days there are people search sites where all they do is follow links to possible relatives based on a one time shared address, legal records etc. And then they just follow the trail. Some of these sites unfortunately give a lot of free info. It scary how much more sophisticated these online records have become.</p>
That’s pretty sharp of him alright. Good for him!</p>
<p>Unfortunately this is a common scam and these lower than slime people go out of their way to target the most vulnerable in this area and play with their emotions while they’re at it.</p>
<p>We all should discuss this as well as other scams with our elderly parents but unfortunately at that age it doesn’t always ‘take’.</p>
<p>My parents were just telling me about this today. The caller called my father “Uncle John” and claimed to be a nephew. Knew his real first name. My father did not fall for it. Caller claimed he would be visiting their city the next day and asked if they’d be home. The next day my mom answered the phone and caller asked to speak to “my uncle”. My mother replied “which uncle”. Caller said “your husband, do you have more than one?” To which she replied “None of your business.” They called the police who came over and took a report.</p>
<p>My mother fell for a similar scam. Sent nearly $2,000 (!!!) to my DD who was supposedly in trouble in Montreal. (She was neither.) These people are savvy and know how to push grandparents’ buttons. Please warn every warm-hearted older person you know to watch out.</p>
<p>My 80yo Father got scammed by something similar last year. Once the money was sent by Western Union I thought it was a lost cause. But, my brother (who works in internet security) knew better. Money was being wired to London from Boston and he knew the WU offices hadn’t opened yet in London. So later that night he was able to get WU to put a hold on the money transfer and we were able to recover it back. After this, my Father started getting all kinds of phone calls from folks looking for information/money etc. We had to change my Fathers phone number. </p>
<p>The other scam that is common in my neck of the woods is people knocking on doors claiming they are from the town/city/local utility and need to look at something inside/outside etc. While they have the homeowner distracted a second person steals money/jewlery etc. </p>
<p>A few months ago, my Father was also contacted by a lawyer looking for his homeowners info because someone had “slipped and fell” on his property. We had a relative who is a lawyer contact the first lawyer who promptly stopped calling and writing looking for info. Unfortunately, my experience is insurance companies are too quick to pay out relatively small amounts of moneyfor these types of cases. </p>
<p>I keep wondering how people fall for this, but they do. Despite telling him not to let strangers into to his house, I keep waiting for my Father to fall for the city worker telling him they need to get into the house. :(</p>
<p>My mom got one of those calls a couple of months ago. Fortunately, she isn’t the type to bail anyone out of a jam… I’m glad my father wasn’t the one who answered the phone.</p>
<p>A friend is sure that somehow their info was leaked from a student loan form. The kid had listed Grandma as some kind of reference and a few months later she got the call supposedly from “Matt” (the actual grandson’s name). This Grandma didn’t fall for it! I have warned my parents…I should warn them again.</p>
<p>My parents fell for it, too. The thing that irked H and I the most was that they were asked not to tell us (the parents) that grandson was in jail in some other state for drunk driving…and they didn’t!! Now my kids know never to ask their grandparents for money over the phone. That answer will be NO forever more. Hopefully grandparents will never again agree to keep such a secret.</p>
<p>Wow, I can’t imagine my parents being willing to bail out my kid AND keep it a secret from me! Hate these scammers that prey on the good nature of folks. :(</p>