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  Geebo 9:00 am on November 5, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: grandparent scam, Scams ( 1,468 )   

  The true cost of the grandparent scam 

  

  We often talk about scams but usually not the scammers themselves. That’s because many scammers operate from overseas and are difficult to prosecute. However, that’s not to say that there aren’t domestic scammer because there are.

  Two men from Florida recently pleaded guilty to running a grandparent scam operation that netted them $1 million. As its name implies, the grandparent scam specifically targets the elderly. The scammer will call their victims and create a scenario where one of the victim’s grandchildren are in some kind of trouble. Typically, the scammers will pretend to be the grandchild and say that they need bail money. The scammers will then instruct their victims where they can send money, usually in some unorthodox form like gift cards.

  The two Florida men were said to have posed as police officers and lawyers to convince their victims to send them money. They would then have their victims send packages of cash to vacant properties in a number of states up and down the East Coast. Just between the two men, they were able to collect $1 million from 28 victims. That’s averages out to approximately $36,000 per victim. We’re sure that to many of those victims that money was probably their life savings. It just shows how relatively easy it is for just two scammers to amass seven figures like that.

  Both men are looking at 20-year sentences when they’re sentenced next year.

  Again, if you or someone you know receives one of these phone calls, it’s best to hang up and contact the person the scammers are claiming to be. Scammers will try to pressure you into staying on the line, however, if someone is truly in a legal jam, it’s not going to make matters worse if you make additional calls to verify their story.

  Again, we ask that if you know an elderly person or couple who live alone and do not have access to the internet, please let them know about this scam.

   

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  Geebo 8:00 am on September 22, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: coronavirus ( 40 ), covid-19 ( 48 ), grandparent scam, romance scam ( 73 ), Scams ( 1,468 ), work at home ( 14 )   

  COVID creating more scams for more money 

  

  According to the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, not only have scams increased during the pandemic but victims are losing more money than ever. Just last month, the Attorney General’s Office said that scam victims lost as much as 8000 times more than they did the year before. The rise in scams is being contributed to the fact that more people are at home and online during the pandemic. That can also lead to more victims posting about themselves on social media which gives scammers more information to use against you.

  The Attorney General’s Office says the three most common scams that have been happening during the pandemic are grandparent scams, work from home scams, and romance scams. Kentucky recently prosecuted a man who scammed a woman for over $200,000 in a romance scam. The scammer posed as a man in the military while asking his victims for money under the guise of a romantic relationship.

  We often see people acting incredulously saying things like “Who would ever fall for a scam like this.” Unfortunately, victims falling for scams happen more often than you might think with only a fraction of the victims ever coming forward. As we have said before, people from all economic and educational backgrounds have fallen for scammers in one way or another.

  When it comes to your money, always take the time to verify what someone online is telling you. Whether it’s for a job, a relative in jail, or a romantic interest, it never hurts to check everyone’s story. At the worst, it may result in some hurt feelings but at least you’ll still have your money in these tough economic times.

  If you find yourself having become a victim of one of these scammers, please think about coming forward to the authorities. While it may seem embarrassing at first, if more people come forward it will lessen the chance that someone else will become a victim in the future.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on September 9, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: covid-19 ( 48 ), grandparent scam, Scams ( 1,468 )   

  The grandparent scam with the COVID cover 

  

  We’ve been discussing grandparent scams a lot lately. By most reports, these scams have been on the rise since the advent of the global pandemic and show no sign of slowing down any time soon. Now, scammers are incorporating the pandemic into their scam.

  It’s called the grandparent scam because scammers often target the elderly with this scam. The scammer will claim to a grandchild who is in some sort of trouble. More often than not the scammer will say that they’ve been arrested in need money for bail or some other legal fee. The scammers will then request large amounts of money to be sent to them while posing as the grandchild. In the past, scammers have requested the money through wire services like Moneygram, or through gift cards like those you can get for Amazon or Walmart. More recently, some scammers have even employed go-betweens to go right up to a victim’s door and collect the money in cash.

  Scams are always evolving and the grandparent scam is no exception. Since people have been getting wise to the scam, scammers are now using a tactic devised to put pressure on their victims. According to the Florida Attorney General’s Office, scammers are telling their victims that because of COVID-19, bail needs to be paid over the phone immediately so person to person contact can be avoided. This can also give the impression that the supposed grandchild could be exposed to COVID-19.

  These scammers will say anything to keep you on the phone and to try to get you to make some form of payment right then and there. However, it’s always in your best interest to hang up and call the grandchild that the scammer is claiming to be. If a grandchild had actually been arrested, verifying their situation will more than likely not cause them any further distress.

  Again, we ask that if you know an elderly person or couple who live alone and do not have access to the internet, please let them know about this scam.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on September 3, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: grandparent scam, Safety ( 45 ), Scams ( 1,468 ), seniors ( 9 )   

  Grandparent scammers victimize woman three times 

  

  One of the many problems with being a scam victim is that often the scammers will try to victimize from you again. Usually, the scammers will try to fool you again with a different scam. For example, a scammer might have fooled you with a police impersonation scam. Then, the scammers may try to fleece you again using a Social Security scam. It’s rare to hear of a scammer using the same scam multiple times on the same victim but that’s exactly what happened to an elderly woman in upstate New York.

  In Amsterdam, New York, an 88-year-old woman was contacted by someone who claimed to be her grandson. The scammer said they had been arrested and needed $7,000 in cash for legal fees. The woman gathered the money and sent it to an address in New Jersey.

  A month and a half later, she received another call from the same ‘grandson’. This time they were asking for $10,000 in cash after the phony grandson claimed to be in a car accident.

  Later on, the victim was contacted again. Once again, the phony grandson was asking for another $10,000. This time, an employee at the shipping service she was using asked her about the package. When the woman told them it was cash for grandson the delivery employee believed she was being scammed and contacted the state police.

  Unfortunately, if you’ve fallen for a scam in the past, it’s likely that scammers will try to target you again. Like we said previously, it’s usually with a different scam but it’s not unheard of for scammers to use the same scam multiple times and the grandparent scam is the perfect scam to use that way. If a victim believes the scammer is their grandchild once, they may believe it again.

  As we always advise when it comes to the grandparent scam, if you receive one of these calls, hang up. Then call the actual person the scammers are claiming to be to make sure they’re not in any actual trouble. If it were a legitimate call from a grandchild, they’re not going to be in any more trouble if you stop to take the time to verify their story. You can also ask the caller a question that only they would know or set up a family password to indicate the call is legitimate.

  Again we ask that if you know an elderly person or couple who live alone and do not have access to the internet, please let them know about this scam.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on August 31, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: elderly ( 12 ), grandparent scam, Safety ( 45 ), Scams ( 1,468 ), seniors ( 9 )   

  Scammers are showing up at seniors’ doors 

  

  If you’re not a senior citizen yourself, you may have an elderly relative. They may live alone and a great distance from you. Would you want strangers showing up to their door and taking thousands of dollars in your relative’s money? How upsetting to you would that be if it happened to someone in your family? Unfortunately, this is happening to many families around the country in this scary new twist on the grandparent scam.

  Just in case you’re unfamiliar with the grandparent scam it’s when a scammer calls a senior citizen and poses as one of their grandchildren or some other relative. The scammers will say that they’re in some kind of trouble. Usually, they’ll say that they’ve been arrested and need money for bail. Other times they’ll say that they’re in the hospital and need money for treatment. We’ve even seen some cases where they’ll say they’re overseas and they need money to get home.

  As you can see, the common goal of the scam is to get money from elderly victims. Scammers used to get money from their victims in this scam by having them buy gift cards and having the victims give the gift card numbers to the scammer over the phone. Just as an aside, we’d like to remind you that gift cards are commonly used in all sorts of scams, so please keep in mind that no legitimate company or agency will ask for payment over the phone in gift cards.

  Now, grandparent scammers have developed an increasingly worrying tactic. Instead of asking for gift cards over the phone, scammers are employing go-betweens who act as couriers to pick up the money personally. In at least one case in Ohio, a woman was scammed out of $15,000 when a scammer posed as her grandson in Florida claiming to need bail. The scammers had someone go to her home and physically collect the $15,000 in cash.

  While we haven’t heard of any of these scammers getting physical with their victims, the potential is always there.

  The best way to deal with these scams is to contact the person the scammers are claiming to be. Scammers may sound convincing due to the fact that they get a lot of their information from social media. However, even if the call is real no one is going to be sentenced to life in prison or thrown out of the hospital if you hang up on the phone call from the supposed grandchild.

  If you know an elderly person or couple who live alone and do not have access to the internet, please let them know about this scam. Also, consider setting up a family password for just such emergencies so you can verify the person calling is who they say they are.

  The grandparent scam with the COVID cover | Greg's Corner and Dave Smith are discussing. Toggle Comments

   
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    Dave Smith 8:45 pm on August 31, 2020 Permalink

    They sound convincing, one called me and sounded just like my grandson from of out state.
    When I ask him what his mother’s name was, what was my name, what was his father’s name he started acting like the phone connection was bad, I told him until he could answer my questions I wasnt sending him anything. He hung up the phone. They are very convincing,
    If I hadn’t worked in Security I would have believed the story. DO NOT DO ANY BUSINESS ON THE PHONE!

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  Geebo 8:00 am on August 10, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: grandparent scam, Safety ( 45 ), Scams ( 1,468 )   

  A scammer at your door 

  

  Scammers have always been quick to adapt their scams so they can steal your money as quickly as possible. Before, scammers would have their victims wire them money or they would make them buy a bunch of gift cards and the scammers would take the card numbers over the phone. More recently, scammers have started taking great lengths to make sure that nothing stands between them and stealing their victims’ money. One ploy we recently discussed was scammers keeping their victims on the phone during all aspects of the scam to make sure the victims were actually going through with the payment. Now it seems scammers are getting even more up close and personal.

  Various police departments and law enforcement agencies in Iowa are reporting that a number of residents have reported grandparent scams in their area. A grandparent scam is when the scammers pose as an elderly person’s grandchild and claim to be in some kind of trouble. This can vary from the scammer claiming to have been arrested, to being in an accident, and being stuck in a foreign country. They all have the same goal and that’s to get the victim to send them money. In one case in New York, one elderly woman gave a grandparent scammer $40,000 before realizing she had been scammed.

  The difference in these recent scams as opposed to grandparent scams of the past is that the scammers are showing up at the victim’s door to collect the money. Rather than risking someone tipping off the victim to the scam, scammers are posing as couriers and collecting money directly from the victim. This is concerning on a number of levels. Not only just for the scammer taking an elderly person’s money but the safety risk involved as well. Keep in mind that scammers are in fact criminals.

  If you ever receive a call like this, don’t hesitate to call a trusted relative to make sure the person claiming to be your grandchild is ok. If you hang up it’s not like the grandchild would be sentenced to life in prison.

  if you know an elderly person or couple who live alone and do not have access to the internet, please let them know about this scam. Also, consider setting up a family password for just such emergencies so you can verify the person calling is who they say they are.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on April 13, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: coronavirus ( 40 ), covid-19 ( 48 ), grandparent scam, impersonation scam ( 167 ), Scams ( 1,468 ), text messaging ( 37 ), veterans ( 8 )   

  Text scam says you have covid-19 

  

  So far, we’ve seen some insidious scams that have preyed on the fear of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but this one may just take the proverbial cake. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt is warning residents about a new coronavirus scam that is targeting its victims through text messages. The text messages say something to the effect of “Someone who came in contact with you tested positive or has shown symptoms for COVID-19 & recommends you self-isolate/get tested.” The text also contains a link that is supposed to contain more information. In all likelihood, the link goes to a website that either tries to steal your personal information or injects malware on to your device. We recommend that you shouldn’t click any links provided by anyone you don’t know personally whether they’re sent through text, email, or social media.

  The State of New Jersey has been particularly hard hit by the pandemic due to its proximity to New York. The New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal has been warning the Garden State about several scams taking advantage of the current crisis. Most of these scams we have gone over previously. However, one particular scam that Mr. Grewal is warning about caught our attention. That would be the impersonation scam or grandparent scam. Normally, this scam is when a scammer calls an elderly victim and poses as a grandchild and that they’re in some kind of trouble. They’ll then ask for money for things like bail or emergency medical expenses that have to be paid right now. Now, scammers are using the cover of covid-19 to perpetrate these scams. The scammers will say they’re infected with covid-19 and need money. As with most scams, they’ll ask for the money through gift cards or wire transfer. Instead of immediately reacting, call the person the scammers are claiming to be directly to verify that they’re actually ok.

  Previously, we’ve detailed scams where the scammers are disguising themselves as workers for the CDC, the Red Cross, and local hospitals selling various coronavirus tests or cures for a fee door to door. Of course, neither the tests or cures they sell are legitimate and they are just looking to make a few hundred dollars a pop. If that wasn’t low enough reports in Las Vegas have surfaced stating that some of these scammers have taken to posing as employees from Veterans Affairs Hospitals. For many of our veterans, the VA is the only place where they can receive medical treatment so some older veterans may be trusting of anyone who claims to be from the VA. In response to this, the VA has stated that they won’t come to your home without scheduling an appointment first.

  If you know someone who could be susceptible to these scams, please check in on them even if it’s just a phone call. They’ll probably appreciate that you’re looking out for them.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on March 18, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: coronavirus ( 40 ), covid-19 ( 48 ), grandparent scam, impersonation scam ( 167 ), medical scams ( 21 ), medicare ( 18 ), Scams ( 1,468 )   

  Coronavirus puts new twist on old scams 

  

  As with any time of crisis, there is no shortage of scammers during the coronavirus pandemic. We’re not just talking about people buying insane amounts of toilet paper and hand sanitizer and trying to sell them with enormous markups. A number of scams that are preying upon covid-19 fears are just age-old scams dressed up in a coronavirus suit. Here are some more coronavirus scams to look out for.

  Johns Hopkins University has a very useful real-time map showing the spread of the coronavirus. The map from Johns Hopkins is safe as can be. However, there are malicious sites out there that have similar looking maps but are injecting malware into the user’s device that is designed to steal passwords. This malware can then spread to other devices and continue the process. If you think your device may be infected, run an antimalware application like Malwarebytes to remove the malware.

  Scammers are continuing to call people promising at home coronavirus tests. In at least one case, scammers are promising Medicare recipients a coronavirus testing kit. This is similar to many scams that prey upon Medicare patients by offering them a free medical item such as a back brace. As in other cases, the scammers are trying to get the victim’s personal information such as their Social Security number and other identifying information for potential identity theft. Please keep in mind that at the time of this posting there is no home test kit for covid-19. Testing can only be done at approved medical facilities and clinics. If you think you may have covid-19 symptoms, please call your doctor and they’ll advise you on how to get tested.

  [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hia7H4pVwTs%5D

  The impersonation scam, or grandparent scam, is also having a coronavirus layer attached to it. Usually, in this scam, someone will call an elderly person and tell them that one of their grandchildren are in some kind of trouble and need money to rectify the situation. In this new version of the scam, people are being told that a loved one is in the hospital with coronavirus and can’t be treated until a deposit is paid. As much as the US healthcare system revolves around money, no hospital is going to turn away a covid-19 patient for any reason.

  Fear is to scammers like blood in the water is to a shark. These times are stressful enough without having to worry about being scammed. Don’t allow fear to override your sensibilities and you’ll be able to get through this.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on January 3, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: grandparent scam, Scams ( 1,468 )   

  Terrifying twist on scam that targets the elderly 

  

  We’ve talked about the grandparent scam before. In it, scammers target the elderly and pose as grandchildren or some other younger relative that claims to be in trouble. Usually, the scammer will try to coerce the elderly victim into making a payment by gift cards or money transfer that is supposed to be for bail, a medical expense, or some other emergency situation. Previously, if someone was taken in one of these scams the only thing they’d have to worry about is losing money. Now, one report is stating that a new frightening wrinkle has been added to the scam.

  A consumer reporter for the New York Post is stating that he has received reports of the scammers coming to people’s doors to collect cash instead of gift cards or wire transfers. The scammers are posing as some kind of collection agents for the scams. In some cases, the people who are instructed to pick up the money don’t even know e=why they’re picking up money from the victims. It’s not just New York City where this is happening either. The scam has reached across the country to the Los Angeles area.

  [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cP1MRWlQQ0%5D

  If the scam is happening on both coasts then it can happen anywhere in between. If you receive one of these phone calls, don’t make any kind of payment or arrangement until you speak with a relative who can verify the location of the person in question. You could also ask the caller a question that only that person would know. You should also contact your local police as well so they can try to prevent other people from falling victim to the scam.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on October 24, 2019 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: gift cards ( 103 ), grandparent scam, Scams ( 1,468 )   

  91-year-old man taken in grandparent scam 

  

  If you haven’t heard of the grandparent scam it can be a particularly heartbreaking story. The scam targets the elderly and how it works is that the scammer will call their target pretending to be one of their grandchildren. They will ask the grandparent for money claiming they’re in some kind of jam such as being in jail or an emergency room. They’ll also ask the grandparent not to say anything to the parents because they’re too embarrassed when in reality it’s just to keep the target’s adult children from finding out about the scam. Scammers count on their victims being more trusting, more willing to answer a call from an unfamiliar number, and not being as tech-savvy as younger segments of the population.

  Unfortunately, a 91-year-old man from Indiana was scammed out of almost $3,000 in one of these scams. He received a call from someone claiming to be his grandson who claimed to be in jail and needed bail money. The phone was then handed over to someone pretending to be the arresting officer who instructed the man that bail could be paid with eBay gift cards. The man ended up buying $2,600 worth of gift cards in two separate trips to his local supermarket. The man then gave the gift card serial numbers to the scammers. Even after thew scammers got the money from their victim, they kept calling him asking for more money. His daughter finally intervened and had his calls forwarded to her line where she confronted the scammers. Sadly, the money the man spent will more than likely not be recovered.

  [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvIfi5rbikc%5D

  We know we say this a lot but that’s only because it’s such a common trait in most scams; don’t ever pay for anything over the phone with gift cards. If you or a family member receive a call like this and they ask for payment in gift cards or prepaid debit cards it’s almost guaranteed to be a scam. You should also handle these phone calls calmly if you receive one and don’t give in to the pressure the caller will try to apply. If they claim to be a family member, ask them something that only that family member would know. You should also call another relative who is more familiar with that person’s current location to make sure they’re not in any kind of trouble. And if you have elderly friends or relatives, especially if they live alone, please share this information with them so they can better handle any scam calls they might receive.