How To Make Sure You Don’t Fall For The Grandparent Scam Happening In Michigan
I think it was Taylor Swift who sang those famous lyrics “The scammers are gonna scam, scam scam” or something like that.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is issuing a warning about common scams such as the grandparent scam that are targeting seniors in the area.
WHAT IS THE GRANDPARENT SCAM HAPPENING IN MICHIGAN?
According to The Consumer Federation of America, You get a call or an email unexpectedly from someone who claims to be a friend or relative. This often happens to grandparents with the caller claiming to be their grandson or granddaughter. The caller says there’s an emergency and asks you to send money immediately. But beware, there’s a good chance this is an imposter trying to steal your money! Follow these tips to avoid becoming a victim of fraud.
HOW DO SCAMMERS KNOW THE NAMES OF YOUR FRIENDS OR RELATIVES?
In some cases, they don’t. For instance, the scammer may say “Hi grandma,” hoping that you actually have a grandson. If you ask, “David, is that you?” the scammer will say “Yes!” Often these crooks will call in the middle of the night and take advantage of the fact that you may not be awake enough to ask more questions and you may not want to disturb other people by calling them to confirm the information. Sometimes the scammers do know the names of your friends or relatives. They can get that information from a variety of sources. Your relatives may be mentioned in an obituary or on a social networking site. Your email contact list may contain the names of friends and relatives
WHAT DO THESE SCAMMERS SAY?
They might say something like, “I’m in Canada and I’m trying to get home but my car broke down and I need money right away to get it fixed.” Or they may claim to have been mugged, or been in a car accident, or need money for bail or to pay customs fees to get back into the United States from another country. They may also pose as an attorney or law enforcement official contacting you on behalf of a friend or relative. No matter the story, they always want you to send money immediately.
HOW DO THE SCAMMERS GET YOUR MONEY?
These scammers ask you to send money through services such as Western Union and MoneyGram because they can pick it up quickly, in cash. They often use fake IDs, so it’s impossible to trace them.
It’s a good idea to be aware of the latest scams and to discuss them with friends and family so you don’t fall victim to them
You can get more info about the grandparent's scam here