The Grandparent Scam

Scam artists will use any leverage they can get to separate you from your money. Sadly, that includes exploiting grandparents’ love and concern for their grandchildren, giving rise to a breed of impostor fraud specifically targeting older Americans.

The Grandparent Scam involves a fraudster calling the grandparent to tell them their grandchild has been arrested and needs money for bail and attorney fees. The fraudster cons the grandparent into mailing large sums of cash to an “attorney”. More alarmingly, fraudster’s are now telling the grandparent they will come to their home to pick up the cash.

There are multiple scams in the area that target senior adults that use the same tactics as the Grandparent Scam.

• Never send money to anyone you have met on Facebook or any other social media site.
• Never give your address to anyone you do not know.
• If you are told to go to the bank to withdraw cash for any reason by someone you do not know, report it to the police immediately.