Grandchild Emergency
Con artists are successful because they exploit their victim’s emotions, expertly manipulating a grandparent’s desire to protect or rescue a grandchild who needs them. The scam often begins with a phone call from a grandchild who claims to be in a bind that can only be solved with money they don’t currently have available. When Grandma picks up the phone, the fake grandchild might say something like, “Hi Grandma, guess who?” The grandparent will respond by guessing which grandchild’s voice it sounds most like, giving the con artist instant credibility.
Once the niceties are over, the grandchild will say they need money for a car repair, rent or some other important reason. An added strategy that these fraudsters use is asking that the grandparent not tell the parents so that they won’t get in trouble.
Scammers often ask the grandparent to send the money to Western Union or MoneyGram as a way to work around identification requirements. This popular and simple deception is especially fruitful since car repairs and rent amounts can justify larger amounts of money needed. Another reason scammers prefer this particular con is because it is simple and requires very little research.
