THE GRANDPARENT SCAM
GRANDPARENTS
BEWARE! DON’T
LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!
The “Grandparent Scam” has been reported to the Internet
Crime Complaint Center (IC3) since 2008.
It is the #1 scam here in Tuolumne
County. Sadly, grandparents are still falling for
this impersonation of their grandchild. Scam artists have become very
sophisticated and are able to uncover personal information about their targets
on social media websites resulting in a very believable impersonation.
The common scenario goes like this: a grandparent receives a call from their
grandchild or occasionally a niece or nephew.
The call comes in early in the morning or late at night catching the
grandparent off guard and not alert. The
impersonator claims he is out of the country, usually Mexico, and has
been involved in a car accident, caught with drugs, in jail or has been mugged and
needs money wired ASAP. Once that money
is wired it is gone FOREVER!
If you are convinced this is a call from your grandchild….
DO NOT RESPOND IMMEDIATELY. First call
the parents and find out the whereabouts of your grandchild.
Jane Koskela
Sheriff’s Community Service Unit
Scam Supervisor
April 29,
2013
