Grandparents scam’ hits Kenosha County

By Annette Newcomb Editor

Spring Break has historically been a time when college students blow off a little steam at exotic locations, as they prepare to transition into the next phase of their lives.

But now even this spring ritual has now become a target for scam artists and Kenosha County resident found out first-hand.

Sgt. Bill Beth of the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department said on March 20 a 75-year-old grandmother in Kenosha received a call from her “grandson” asking for help.

The alleged “grandson” told the woman he was in New York City in jail and needed $2,900 to get out. The caller hung up when the woman said she could not help.

She then called her family and learned her grandson was at work in Kenosha. The caller ID on the incoming phone was “Unknown” and there is no phone number to trace it to the source.

A similar scenario occurred to a Twin Lakes family last year. They also confirmed the whereabouts of their family member and did not fall prey to the scammers.

And a Lake Geneva resident who works in Twin Lakes received an email from a girl who said her textbooks were “stolen” and she needed to replace them before finals. When asked to give more information, the email author said, “She had the wrong address.”

On Jan. 26 a Trevor woman received a call from someone who said they were a government employee and said there was a $7,000 tax refund waiting for her but bank information was needed. The resident also quickly grew suspicious and did not comply.

Ironically, the same week this latest scam occurred, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) issued a warning asking families to be aware of “grandparents scams” during spring break.

Family members should warn older adults of the scam and tell them to hang up without giving any information.

The DATCP said these scams take on a number of forms, but always involve a request for cash tied to a story about a hardship a grandchild is facing.

The scammer, posing as the grandchild, will call asking for money to pay for tuition or textbooks, fix a car, get out of jail or leave a foreign country. The grandparent is asked not to tell anyone else about the situation.

“This scam is as low as they come,” said Sandy Chalmers, Division Administrator for Trade and Consumer Protection. “These criminals take advantage of a grandparent’s love and concern and the trust they have established with their grand-children.”

According to the Federal Trade Commission, reports of imposter scams were up 22 percent in 2011, Chalmers said.

“Since most grandparents would not hesitate to help out their grandchildren, these scams are lucrative for criminals and often net thousands of dollars at a time,” she added.

The DATCP press release says with so many college students using Facebook to share updates and future plans with friends and family members, it is not difficult for a scammer to seek out a student planning a vacation, learn about their plans, fol-low their travel, and study up on the student’s family mem-bers and personal details.

When a scammer calls the grandparent, he is likely to be able to spin a convincing story. To further sell the scam, a second person may also call the grandparent, claiming to be a police offi-cer or a bondsman.

The Bureau of Consumer Protection offers these tips for handling a potentially fraudulent call for help:

• no matter how dramatic the story sounds, do not wire money. The chances of re-covery are slim to none. Also, do not send a check or money order by overnight delivery or courier. Con art-ists recommend these serv-ices so they can get your money before you realize you have been cheated;

• never provide your bank or credit card account num-bers – regardless of the rea-son;

• resist the pressure to act immediately. Try to contact the grandchild at a number that you know is accurate such as a home or cell phone number before transferring money. If you do not have your grandchild’s phone numbers, get in touch with their parent, spouse or an-other close family member to check out the story before you send any money – even if you have been asked to keep the call a secret;

• remember that some impostors research the people they are posing as and can answer basic questions about them. Try to verify the caller’s identity by asking personal questions a stranger could not answer;

• do not fill in the blanks. Refrain from mentioning other family members’ names or personal information. If the caller says, “It’s your granddaughter,” respond with “Which one?” Most likely, the caller will hang up;

• if you cannot reach a family member and still are not sure what to do, call the Bureau of Consumer Protec-tion or your local police on the non-emergency line. They can help you sort things out;

• if you receive repeated fraudulent calls, contact your local telephone company for assistance and file a com-plaint your local police immediately.

For more information about grandparent scams or other fraudulent activities targeting the elderly, visit the Consumer Protection website at datcp.wisconsin.gov, send an email to [email protected] or call (800) 422-7128.

Consumer Protectoin can also be found on Twitter at twitter.com/widatcp or Face-book at face-book.com/widatcp.

 

 


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