Georgia’s Lawyer Common Carr warns of recent twist on grandparent fraud – brinkwire

ATLANTA – Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr warns Georgians about the latest version of grandparent fraud. The scam still starts with a phone call from someone purporting to be your grandchild, one of his friends, a lawyer, or a law enforcement officer. The caller then describes an urgent scenario that requires thousands of dollars to be transferred immediately, e.g. your grandson will go to jail if you don’t send bail, or he will fall ill abroad and need money to get home. If the impostor pretends to be a grandchild, he or she can speak softly or cry so that the victim is less likely to question why the grandchild’s voice sounds different. The “grandchild” may ask you not to tell their parents what is going on. They can even tell you to lie to the bank when asked about the reason for the withdrawal. Instead of asking the victim to transfer money, pay with gift cards, or even send cash (all red flags of a scam), the scammers say they will send someone to the person’s house to collect the money. Once the victim pays the money to the courier (often an ignorant Uber or Lyft driver) there is virtually no way to get it back. Additionally, the scammers may call back claiming they need more money.

“Scammers prey on people’s emotions by trying to instill fear or a sense of urgency in hopes that people will act before they think things through,” said Attorney General Carr. “We encourage people to tell their elderly relatives about this scam so they can spot the warning signs and avoid becoming victims.”

The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Department offers the following tips to help protect yourself from this scam:

• When you receive such a call, put down the phone and call your grandchild directly to check their whereabouts. If you cannot reach your grandchild, contact the parents – even if you were asked to.
• Remember, a scammer can discover a lot of someone’s personal information through social media or identity theft. So don’t trust a caller at face value, even if they give your grandchild’s name or certain details.
• Limit what you share on social media and check your privacy settings.
• Never give your address, personal information, or money to someone calling you out of the blue.

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