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By Liz Beavers
lbeavers@newstribune.info
Tribune Managing Editor
KEYSER – “Granddad?”
The voice on the other end of the phone sounded desperate.
“Granddad. I’m in a bit of trouble and I need your help.”
These are perhaps some of the most dreaded words that a grandparent can hear .... and some of the most expensive because that person on the other end of the line may not be your grandchild.
It may, in fact, be someone trying to swindle you out of your money.
It’s called the “Grandparent Scam,” and law enforcement agencies all over the country are reporting a dramatic increase in the amount of seniors who are being tricked out of their money.
The scenario is always the same. The person calls the senior and opens the conversation with “Hi, it’s me,” or “it’s your favorite grandson/daughter.”
The senior, who may not have talked to the grandchild in awhile, will tend to be taken by surprise and the first response is something like, “Mary, is that you?”
Once that caller picks up on the name, he or she will continue talking, picking up other clues along the way – so much so that it soon gets to the point where the senior is convinced the caller is, indeed, a grandson or granddaughter.
According to a Keyser couple who fell victim to the scam, and asked that their names not be revealed, the “grandson” spun a sad story of traveling to a point in Canada, getting involved in a car accident because he was drinking, and needing money to get out of jail.
“They use what they learn through the conver-
(See SCAM P. 6A)
sation to make it more convincing,” the vicim said.
In this case, the caller asked that his “grandfather” wire him enough money to get out of jail and get home, and was able to talk the victim out of a total of $4,700.
Once the money was wired, the couple began thinking about the situation and said something just didn’t ring true. A quick call to their grandson’s mother confirmed that he had never been in Canada.
According to the West Virginia State Police, a number of these calls have hit the area in recent months, with the victims describing “how believable and deceiving the subjects can be.”
The caller always says he or she needs the money fast, and asks for it to be wired because they can often pick it up without showing identification.
The police advise the public to use caution when receiving unique or suspicious calls, especially those that deal with money or asking for personal information such as bank account numbers.
One of the local victim said officers had suggested setting up code words for your family to use when they call to verify that it is really them.
If the caller says “it’s your granddaughter,” officials also suggest countering with “which one?” instead of offering the name. If the caller is bogus, they will often hang up without trying to proceed further.
By Liz Beavers
lbeavers@newstribune.info
Tribune Managing Editor
KEYSER – “Granddad?”
The voice on the other end of the phone sounded desperate.
“Granddad. I’m in a bit of trouble and I need your help.”
These are perhaps some of the most dreaded words that a grandparent can hear .... and some of the most expensive because that person on the other end of the line may not be your grandchild.
It may, in fact, be someone trying to swindle you out of your money.
It’s called the “Grandparent Scam,” and law enforcement agencies all over the country are reporting a dramatic increase in the amount of seniors who are being tricked out of their money.
The scenario is always the same. The person calls the senior and opens the conversation with “Hi, it’s me,” or “it’s your favorite grandson/daughter.”
The senior, who may not have talked to the grandchild in awhile, will tend to be taken by surprise and the first response is something like, “Mary, is that you?”
Once that caller picks up on the name, he or she will continue talking, picking up other clues along the way – so much so that it soon gets to the point where the senior is convinced the caller is, indeed, a grandson or granddaughter.
According to a Keyser couple who fell victim to the scam, and asked that their names not be revealed, the “grandson” spun a sad story of traveling to a point in Canada, getting involved in a car accident because he was drinking, and needing money to get out of jail.
“They use what they learn through the conver-
(See SCAM P. 6A)
sation to make it more convincing,” the vicim said.
In this case, the caller asked that his “grandfather” wire him enough money to get out of jail and get home, and was able to talk the victim out of a total of $4,700.
Once the money was wired, the couple began thinking about the situation and said something just didn’t ring true. A quick call to their grandson’s mother confirmed that he had never been in Canada.
According to the West Virginia State Police, a number of these calls have hit the area in recent months, with the victims describing “how believable and deceiving the subjects can be.”
The caller always says he or she needs the money fast, and asks for it to be wired because they can often pick it up without showing identification.
The police advise the public to use caution when receiving unique or suspicious calls, especially those that deal with money or asking for personal information such as bank account numbers.
One of the local victim said officers had suggested setting up code words for your family to use when they call to verify that it is really them.
If the caller says “it’s your granddaughter,” officials also suggest countering with “which one?” instead of offering the name. If the caller is bogus, they will often hang up without trying to proceed further.
