The “grandparent” scam is an attack on older adults.
Source: sabinevanerp/Pixabay
Bessie, the energetic 89-year-old matriarch of a large and loving family, recently received a phone call that shook her to the core.
A male voice cried, “Grandma, I need your help!”
A confused Bessie asked, “Kenny, is this you?” – guessing that the voice belonged to the oldest of her five 20-something grandsons.
“Uh, yes, this is Kenny,” responded the caller. He told Bessie he was in trouble and needed her to send him $5,000 immediately.
Panicked and frightened, Bessie handed the phone to her husband, Al.
Al told “Kenny” that he could send him $3,000 right away, but then started to sense that something was fishy and hung up the phone. Al’s quick thinking saved the couple thousands of dollars and the emotional anguish that plagues countless older adults who are victims of financial exploitation each year.
The “grandparent scam” is one of the oldest tricks in the book. A predator reaches out by phone, email, or text and tells an unsuspecting older adult that their beloved grandchild is in big trouble – a lost wallet while traveling abroad or in the ER after a car accident. This is a particularly cruel type of fraud because it preys on a grandparent’s love and concern.
But it’s just one of a dizzying list of ploys that victimizes 10 to 15 percent of older adults each year, robbing them of an estimated $1 billion in 2021,…
