Officials warning about "Grandparent Scam"

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Story Published: Nov 3, 2009 at 9:41 AM PDT

By Dan Bain KPIC News

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. -- The Attorney General is warning the public about scammers who pose as grandchildren, claiming to be in trouble and needing money immediately.

It's called the "Emergency Scam" or "Grandparent Scam."

They target grandparents with fake stories about family members stranded in Canada in urgent need of money.

Police say to be wary of any caller that:

Requests a large amount of money be wired to them in a very short time frame, claiming it's an emergency.
Who claims to be stuck in a foreign country and needs the money to hire an attorney or to get back home.
Insists on secrecy. They ask that you don't tell mom or dad and they promise to pay back the money when they get home.
Gets some personal details wrong.

Police say to ask personal questions to verify the identity of the caller.

If you think you've been scammed, you should call the Oregon Attorney General Consumer Hotline at 1-877-877-9392.

Scammers prey on the emotions of grandparents wanting to help their grandchildren.

The scam is mostly conducted by con artists in Canada, and police say you should be highly skeptical of those kinds of requests.

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