The $16,500 Grandparent Scam

Published: Dec. 6, 2019, 5:01 a.m.

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In upstate New York, an older couple receives a startling call from an unknown voice.\\xa0 They are told\\xa0their\\xa0grandson has been in a car accident. The caller knows\\xa0their grandson\\u2019s name, where he lives and other details about his life.\\xa0 The caller shares alarming news\\xa0that police suspect his grandson is at fault for the accident and are holding him\\xa0in jail.\\xa0If\\xa0the grandparents want to help\\xa0their\\xa0grandson,\\xa0they\\u2019ll\\xa0need\\xa0to pay for a lawyer\\xa0and send money immediately.\\xa0Terrified,\\xa0the grandparents agree to cover the legal fees to get\\xa0their\\xa0grandson out of jail.\\xa0They\\xa0follow the caller\\u2019s instructions and\\xa0send\\xa0$5,400\\xa0in gift cards.\\xa0\\xa0Then the caller demands $10,000 cash. The grandparents don\\u2019t yet realize that\\xa0they\\xa0are victims\\xa0of the grandparent scam, a con targeting seniors by preying on their devotion to their families. In the U.S., grandparent scams are on the rise, with nearly $41 million in reported losses in 2018, up from $26 million in 2017. Before the ordeal is over,\\xa0the couple\\xa0will receive dozens of calls demanding hundreds of thousands of dollars and threatening\\xa0their\\xa0grandson.

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