Have You Heard of the 'Hey Grandma' Scam?
After learning about the terrifying "can you hear me?" scheme back in December, there's now another phone scam making the rounds, and this time it's targeting grandparents.
Known as the "hey grandma scam" or "grandparent scam," con artists are tricking senior citizens into giving them money by posing as their grandchildren pleading for funds over the phone, CBS News reports. Scammers are making more than $10,000 a day by duping elderly folks into thinking they're speaking to a grandchild who was just arrested and needs money for bail and lawyers. And now, a former conman is explaining how he pulled it off in an effort to warn others.
"We target people over the age of 65, mainly, because they're more gullible," the unnamed 31-year-old criminal told CBS News. "They're at home. They're more accessible. Once you get them emotionally involved, then they'll do anything for you."
The culprits run their scheme out of Canada, but target seniors in the U.S. Some claim to be grandkids, while others pretend to be police officers who are with the grandchild, according to 7 Eyewitness News WKBW. The callers often follow scripts similar to this:
"Hey, how are you, hi grandma, hi grandpa... I'm in a little bit of trouble right now. If I tell you, just keep it between us, I'm on vacation, but I got into a little accident, and I was arrested for a DUI. Things got out of control, and I need you to send me money."
They also might claim they have a broken nose, or make up lies to explain why their voice may sound different. Last September, a man posing as one 81-year-old California woman's 29-year-old grandson said he was arrested for drunk driving in North Carolina. The victim said it's easy to fall for it because they're playing to your emotions. "You are blinded by emotion, totally blinded," she told reporters. "You don't think rationally when this happens. You know, your family comes first." She claims she believed him because she felt there was genuine desperation in his voice and he said 'I love you.' "I just wanted him to be home with his family, that's all I wanted," she added. She quickly sent $18,000 to a bank account in North Carolina like the caller requested. Soon after, she found out her grandson was not arrested-he wasn't even in North Carolina-and she had no idea where the money went.
The familial component makes even the sharpest people blind to the ploy. Around one out of every 50 people fall for it, according to the criminal. "We've had doctors and lawyers fall for this," Doug Shadel from AARP said. "It doesn't matter what your educational level is because it triggers something emotional, it causes you to act."
To protect yourself and your family, you should warn your grandparents and any seniors you know and tell them to ask for specifics if they think this is happening to them. Confirm that it's your grandchild by asking the caller a specific question, that only your grandchild would know the answer to. If you think you've been targeted, you can alert the Federal Trade Commission, or report the incident to your local police.
(h/t CBS News)
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