Grandparents beware...

[mia]

Just got off the phone with a granny scammer. Someone pretending to be my grandson (He did sound like him.) said he was in trouble after hitting a car that had stopped suddenly. He was on his cell phone at the time, etc... so it was his fault. I even spoke with an "officer". Long story short: He needed $60,000 to keep him out of trouble. Guess I asked too many questions, so they hung up on me.

[elleng]

1. OH NO!

Little chance I'd fall for such, as my grands are 1, 2 and 3 years old!

[Tess49]

11. This is why I hope they call me. Mine are also young. I need some entertainment. n/t

[Heddi]

2. that happened to my inlaws

The scammer called, said that they were the grandson's best friend, grandson was in jail for doing something Really Bad (TM) and needed $10,000 bail via credit card right away. Also they were on the other side of the country so that's why they couldn't bail him out in person.

Only problem...grandson was in the back yard when this phone call took place.

Knowing my inlaws, though, and their gullibility, they would have happily given their CC#, SSN and blood type to some stranger over the phone. We had to block their emails and send directly to the trash can b/c they are the epitome of "bad interneters." After our 3rd virus from them via email we were like "no more." The've gotten involved in driveway re-surfacing scams, other home improvement scams, publisher's clearing house. It would not surprise me if they check their mailbox every day for their winnings from the Nigerian Lottery they won a few years ago

[question everything]

7. This is sad. I wonder whether you can get a social worker or someone from the local police

community relations - they do have them - to come over for a serious chat.

[Heddi]

12. I'm an RN Case Manager. They're not feeble, just gullible and dumb

People, even people in their 70's, are allowed to make really stupid decisions. They don't have alzheimers or dementia. THey're fully functional and capable adults. They just have never met a scam they haven't fallen for. Pyramid schemes? Been there. Oh, the MLM Vitamin Supplement Sales? Yep, got the bumper sticker to prove it. Spent an ungodly amount of $$ to get in "at ground level" of an Ostrich and Emu Meat Farm that was supposed to make them millionaires...

Scammers see them and start drooling like pavlov's dogs.

[mia]

9. Publisher's Clearing House and Save the Children

among many others, had my mother on their lists. After she fell down a few years ago, I stayed with her for awhile and took on the scammers calls. Now, at a much younger age, I'm getting similar calls. Glad to have had the practice at Mom's house. Now I never give money to anyone unless I can put it directly into their hands.

[Tess49]

3. $60,000? My grandkids would have to go to jail. n/t

[mia]

6. I agree with you. The ruse was so elaborate that the money

was actually for a watch that had flown off the drivers' arm and had gotten crushed by another car. The driver was demanding a new watch (as this one had been given to him by his father just before he died.) or he was going to press charges. Officer said he was just trying to help my grandson out and that lawyers would cost me a lot more money. I asked him why he didn't arrest the other driver for extortion.

[Tess49]

10. Did he respond to your extortion question? HaHa! Bet not. n/t

[lsewpershad]

4. Granma

Must be very rich
Glad she knew better.

[Wellstone ruled]

5. Appears this scam happens every few years.

We got one of those calls six years ago. We figured out were the origin was and how they got lucky with the Kid's name. They use mailing lists which you can buy on the internet,then using Google Search you can get pretty darn close with the names.

We reported it immediately to the local PD,that was a waste of time. Now this scam has been running for more than six years and no one has been held accountable.

[3catwoman3]

8. Someone came up to me in the parking lot...

...of the grocery store a couple of days ago with a sob story about being almost out of gas and having left her debit card at home and needing to go pick up her niece.

I looked at her with raised eyebrows and said, "I've lived long enough to be suspicious of things like this." She apologized and turned away immediately.