As adults, everyone is so busy dealing with their jobs, kids, and personal issues. However, there will come a time that you'll stop everything and come home. Once you've tasted the homemade pies and experienced Thanksgiving parties with your family, grab the opportunity to tackle alarming issues to warn your kin. Talk about concerns that are alarming especially for the elderly. Take this one for example: the grandma scam.
It's a sure thought that it's been publicized over and over by the government, media, and institutions. Just that, word doesn't come around fast enough. Even professionals fall prey to this trap. It shows that anyone can be a victim.
This is how the scam operates:
The usual victim is our grandmother or grandfather. The predator will make a call to the older person. This is done right when the older person is half-asleep. When grandma answers the phone, the caller will fish for the identity of a relative.
"It's me, Grandma." This is the first line of the caller. Grandma will be the prey here. Grandma answers, "Is that you, John?" The scammer will immediately take over the identity of the supposed relative. He'll most likely fool grandma with a story of some sort. He says he's in trouble in a city or maybe overseas. He'll make the elderly believe that he was arrested, hospitalized, mugged or any other tale that will require grandma to help him. He will ask for a dramatic plea.
Grandma will fall for it and wire him the money. On another note, you can use the ridiculousness of the instructions as your hint. The problem is that older people feel they should take care of a grandchild who is in desperate need of their help. This is their weakness.
Because Grandma was so concerned about the well-being of the caller, she doesn't pay attention to the details anymore. Thousands of dollars are lost in just a flash. It will take some time before she realizes that she's been scammed.
There is a need to emphasize this situation to the aging loved ones. When you come home during the holidays, have a really good talk. You wouldn't want thieves to steal their trust.
For future reference, you can also check out Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov and to the AARP Fraud Watch Network, at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork or call 1-800-646-2283.
