Safe Family Blog
Scam artists know very well that their scams work best on those who are vulnerable and don't know better. Unfortunately, a lot of scams see their most success with our grandparents and elderly ones. One particular scam that you want to educate your grandparents on is commonly known as the "The Grandparent Scam". Of course, there are variations to how the scam works, but they all follow one basic premise: they capitalize on the love that grandparents have for their grandchildren.
An example of this scam is that a crook will call a particular grandparent pretending to be one of their relatives. The crook will give a fake story that tugs at the grandparent's heart strings and then request that they send money. They might say that they are stranded at an airport, just got robbed, or are in another predicament where money would help them return to safety.
As mentioned before, it is crucial to explain this scam to your elderly family members in order to increase the chances of preventing such a disaster from taking place. There are two main things to help them remember:
- After getting such a call, contact other relatives to ensure the problem is real
- Never send money on your own; discuss the matter with family before sending anything
