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Don't fall for the 'Grandparent Scam'
[July 18, 2012]

Don't fall for the 'Grandparent Scam'


Jul 18, 2012 (Mineral Wells Index - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- PALO PINTO COUNTY -- Graford resident Crystal Cameron received a call from a phone scammer, phishing for information while posing as a relative. Although he didn't get very far, Cameron wants residents to beware of the scam.



She said a young man with a trace of a Canadian accent called and when she answered said, "Grandma." Cameron doesn't have any grandchildren, but has nieces and nephews. The voice said, "This is your oldest grandson." "You mean nephew?" replied Cameron, who asked if this was her nephew, Austin. "Yes, this is Austin," said the caller. "He said he was in a bit of a pickle and had been drinking and landed in jail and needed money," Cameron said.

She said she asked the caller what jail and he replied, "downtown." Then she asked what city and he said Dallas. At that point Cameron's suspicions were confirmed.


"I said, 'Austin isn't in Dallas,' and he hung up," said Cameron, adding that she wants others to know the scam is happening locally.

The "Grandparent Scam" has been around since about 2008, but the scam and scam artists have become more sophisticated, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation website http://www.fbi.gov/ news/stories/2012/april/ grandparent_040212.

"This is an example of what's come to be known as 'the grandparent scam,' states the FBI warning, calling this, "Yet another fraud that preys on the elderly, this time by taking advantage of their love and concern for their grandchildren." To avoid falling for this or other phone or Internet phishing scams, the FBI advises: --Resist the pressure to act quickly.

--Try to contact your grandchild or another family member to determine whether or not the call is legitimate.

--Never wire money based on a request made over the phone or in an e-mail ... especially overseas. Wiring money is like giving cash -- once you send it, you can't get it back.

Thanks to the Internet and social networking sites, a criminal can sometimes uncover personal information about their targets, which makes the impersonations more believable.

"For example, the actual grandson may mention on his social networking site that he's a photographer who often travels to Mexico," states the FBI website. "When contacting the grandparents, the phony grandson will say he's calling from Mexico, where someone stole his camera equipment and passport." Other common versions of the grandparent scam the FBI has witnessed include: --A grandparent receives a phone call or email from a "grandchild." If it is phone call, it's often late at night or early in the morning when most people are not thinking clearly. Usually, the person claims to be traveling in a foreign country and has been arrested, involved in an accident or mugged -- and needs money wired immediately. The caller does not want his or her parents notified.

--Sometimes, instead of the "grandchild" making the phone call, the criminal pretends to be an arresting police officer, a lawyer, a doctor at a hospital or some other person. The FBI has also received complaints about the phony grandchild talking first and then handing the phone over to an accomplice to further spin the fake tale.

--The FBI has also received reports of military families victimized. After perusing a soldier's social networking site, a con artist will contact the soldier's grandparents, sometimes claiming that a problem came up during military leave that requires money to ___ (c)2012 the Mineral Wells Index (Mineral Wells, Texas) Visit the Mineral Wells Index (Mineral Wells, Texas) at www.mineralwellsindex.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

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