Complaints are on the rise about a scam that preys on a grandparent’s love, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
A scammer calls posing as a grandchild in distress, and tries to put the squeeze on the grandparent to wire money for repairing a car, paying a fine, or getting out of trouble in a foreign country.
The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, has some advice to avoid being taken in by a supposed “family” member or a fake emergency: Check out the facts before you send money to anyone, anywhere – especially when wire transfers are involved. To learn more, see the consumer alert “A Scam Based on Relative-ity: Would-be Grandchildren Bilking Honest Grandparents” at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt111.shtm.
The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,500 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.
(FYI grandparent scam)