A Columbus consumer reported that she was targeted by a scammer posing as her grandson, saying he was in Canada and needed money.

In this type of scam, known as a “grandchild scam” or “grandparent scam,” con artists pretend to be grandchildren so they can take advantage of grandparents’ generosity and concern for their grandchildren.

They often call grandparents and say, “Hi Grandma” or “Hi Grandpa,” tricking grandparents into believing that their grandchild really is calling. The scammers then make up a story explaining that they’re stuck in another country and need money.

They might say they’re studying abroad in Greece and don’t have enough money to get back to the U.S. Or they might claim that they’re on vacation in Canada and have encountered some “trouble.”

No matter what the story, scammers generally will ask the grandparents to wire transfer a couple hundred or couple thousand dollars to the foreign country. They might add a phony plea, such as, “Please, Grandma, I really need your help.”

If grandparents do send a wire transfer, they will lose any money they send. Plus, they may start to receive follow-up calls from the scammer, saying, “Grandma, I need you to send more money.”

Never wire transfer money to someone who calls you unexpectedly, even if they claim to be a family member. When in doubt, ask the caller a question that only your real family members would know how to answer. Consider creating a code word that only family members know to use in case of an emergency.

Links:

Report a scam – Ohio Attorney General’s Office

Are you sure that e-mail is coming from a friend? – Ohio Attorney General’s Office
 

Photo by dhinus used under CC license