BBB: Watch Out For Grandparent Scam

With Spring Break just around the corner for most children and even some college students, the Better Business Bureau is warning everyone to be on the lookout for the grandparent scam.  Kirstin Davis with the BBB said this is the time of year they see an uptick in callers claiming to be your family member and in trouble overseas.  Davis said scammers go after your sensitivities.

“If they can find a place where you’re vulnerable, obviously your loved ones are a vulnerable as you can be, and you add fear on to that, that is a really good recipe for people to let go of their decision making skills, or their objectivity.”

Davis said anyone can fall for this scam.  She told of a recently retired prosecutor who nearly fell for the scam.

“The scammer could tell him what tattoos his grandson had, tell him the names of his best friends, and could really give that specific of information.”

Davis says this is often done by the scammers finding information about your loved one on Facebook and doing a small amount of homework, so they have current information.  Davis says if you get a suspicious call from someone claiming to be your family, ask questions only they would know like a childhood pet, and never send cash, either through a wire, or on-line.

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