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Health & Fitness

St. Charles Senior Lost $13,800 In Grandparent Scam, BBB Warns

It’s every family’s worst nightmare: A child – no matter the age - is traveling abroad and runs into trouble. The child calls home – scared, embarrassed and needing money. We want to help the child.

Except that in many cases, the person calling is not your child, not anyone you know. It’s a scammer who plays on your heartstrings to steal your money.

The scam targeted a St. Charles grandmother recently, and she was conned into sending $13,800 to Mexico. When she and her son realized what had happened, she called the Better Business Bureau wanting to warn others not to be drawn into the same trap.

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In this case, the scammer appeared to know not only her grandson’s name but other family names and details that made the call even more convincing. The BBB believes the scammer may have obtained the information from social media.

Even though he didn’t sound like her grandson, the caller managed to convince the grandmother that he was indeed who he said he was. He dictated five pages of instructions on how to send the money to an account in Mexico.

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It was two hours after the money was wired that the grandmother contacted her son, who assured her that her grandson was fin. By then, the bank said it was probably too late to get the money back.

At the BBB, we often get calls from consumers who have been contacted by someone who wants them to wire money or buy prepaid money cards to pay the person who calls or emails them. It can be the classic grandparent scam that hit the St. Charles grandmother, or it may be an offer to repair your credit, buy your used car or to pay fees so you can get prizes in a contest you never entered.

The BBB believes that any request to wire money or send it using a prepaid card should be viewed with suspicion. We have a video that outlines scams associated with wiring money.

If you get a call from someone who claims to be a relative in distress, ask the caller a question that only a family member can answer. Tell the caller you will check with other family members first to determine whether the caller is indeed the relative. Resist any requests from the caller to keep the call a secret.

If you or a relative falls victim to the scam, report it to your local police or other authorities.

The BBB urges family members to warn their older relatives about this scam and others. In some cases, it may be a good idea to ask the relative’s bank to notify you if the person attempts to withdraw a large sum of money unexpectedly.

For more news on consumer fraud and tips to avoid it, visit the BBB website or follow the BBB on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.




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