Seniors stay informed at seminar on scams
The Vindicator – A telephone rings, and when the elderly woman answers, a muffled voice asks if it is “grandma.”
She confirms and asks if it is Michael, her grandson, to whom she is speaking. He confirms that he is her grandson, and then tells her he has been arrested while on vacation and needs bail money — a total of $700.
“Please don’t tell my parents,” the voice asks then instructs her on where to wire the money.
The problem: “Michael” is not her grandson, but a con artist who is now $700 richer.
The “grandparent scam” is a common one, said Jon Miller Steiger, the regional director for the Federal Trade Commission, after the undercover recording ended.
