Scary new twist to grandparent scams

Beginning at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, scammers have changed their approach.

Grandparent and other family emergency scams typically begin with a phone call from the scammer posing as a family member. The caller claims to have been in an accident or other legal trouble in some other state or country and needs money sent immediately for legal fees, bail or hospital costs.

Sometimes the scammer will even include an accomplice posing as a lawyer, doctor, or police officer to verify the origi

nal scammer’s claims. The caller also insists you keep the call confidential for various reasons.

Beginning at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, however, scammers changed their approach. Rather than ask for money due to an accident, scammers now often pose as a family member or friend who is stranded in a quarantined country or has been admitted to a hospital with coronavirus symptoms.

They claim they cannot access their bank and need money wired as soon as possible.

In the past, these frauds were perpetrated by criminals located overseas and victims wired money to a third party. In recent weeks, a scary new twist has surfaced. Victims have reported that a courier showed up at their doorsteps to collect the cash.

In September, a Westlake woman handed thousands of dollars over to a courier who arrived in a U-Haul truck.

Thanks to security video, the U-Haul was later found and two individuals were arrested.

To prevent you or a loved one from falling victim to a grandparent scam, BBB Serving Greater Cleveland offers the following tips:

1. Know the red flags. Typically, the grandparent receives a frantic phone call from a scammer posing as a grandchild. The “grandchild” explains that he or she is in some kind of trouble and needs help. The “grandchild” pleads to the grandparents not to tell his or her parents and asks that they wire thousands of dollars for reasons such as posting bail, repairing a car, covering lawyer’s fees or even paying hospital bills.

2. Do not panic, no matter how dramatic the story is. Ask the caller questions that would be difficult for an imposter to answer correctly (e.g. the names of their siblings). Check with other family members to see if your loved one is OK.

Communicate with your family and know when they will be vacationing so you’re not caught off-guard.

3. Don’t share too much online. Scammers can easily hack into social media accounts and learn names, ages, and other details about family members. Check the privacy settings on your accounts and do not accept friend requests from strangers.

4. Don’t wire any money if there is any doubt about the call. If a person does wire money and later realizes it is a fraud, the police need to be alerted.