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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

BBB Tip of the Week

The holiday season can bring families together, in spirit if not in person. Con artists use the feelings of the season to prey on the elderly with the classic “grandparent scam.”

The scam, a late-night phone call for help, instantly creates an urgent, emotional situation. The caller claims to be a grandchild who has been arrested, mugged or in a car accident, often in a foreign country. They ask for money and secrecy because they are embarrassed. Nearly anyone would want to help a family member in such a distressing situation.

The Better Business Bureau offers the following red flags that a rescue call may actually be a scam:

• The caller is frantic and pleads not to tell anyone, especially parents or guardians.

• The caller doesn’t sound like your grandchild. The excuse is often an injury, such as an injured nose.

• The caller claims to be a friend, a police officer or a lawyer, calling on behalf of the grandchild to ask for money. The caller usually asks for a wire transfer or prepaid debit card to pay bail, a hospital bill or a lawyer.

The following steps can help you avoid being taken in by the grandparent scam:

• Scam artists may gather real names and even travel plans online and from social media. When that information is unavailable, con artists may use generic information, prompting you to provide the details to hook you in to the scam. Don’t give the caller information to further con you.

• Ask questions that only the relative would know. Ask about past gifts, a cousin’s name, the name of a family pet and so on. It is unlikely the caller will know these details, unless they have been shared on social media.

• Forgo the emotional tug and hang up on the caller. Call your relative back directly at a phone number you know, or call family members who can verify that the person is indeed traveling and could be in distress.

Report grandparent scams to the attorney general at http://atg.wa.gov/ FileAComplaint.aspx or by calling (800) 551-4636 and to the BBB at www.bbb.org or by calling (509) 455-4200.

By Erin T. Dodge, BBB editor