Granby Police Warn of 'Grandparent Scam,' Provide Steps for Safety

A scam that attempts to take money from senior citizens by saying their grandchildren are overseas, in trouble and need money has seen a recent resurgence in Granby.

Captain William Tyler of the Granby Police Department wants to raise awareness of the confidence trick, often called the "Grandparent Scam." Providing information about the scam will help senior citizens, as well as their families, friends, caregivers and neighbors, identify the distinguishing marks of the hustle before it’s too late. The scam isn’t limited to the local area.

"It's not just in Granby, it's not just in Connecticut, it's nationwide," Tyler said.

He made sure to praise two local businesses that prevented seniors from sending money to scammers. Employees at both Stop and Shop and Windsor Federal Savings Bank have recently stopped money from being wired by seniors who were almost tricked by the scam. Money, once wired, is usually not able to be reclaimed.

“Hats off to the business community,” Tyler said.

The scam, which has existed for about five years, involves a con man calling an elderly person and impersonating a grandchild. The scammer claims to be in a serious situation – a car accident, arrest or victimized by a robbery or mugging – often in a different country that requires money to resolve immediately.

Additionally, the con man (or men) will tell the grandparent not to tell other family members because the situation is embarrassing, discouraging verification of the situation.

The scammer then asks for the money to be wired to an address matching their supposed location, although the money is very often diverted to Canada, Tyler said.

Technology, especially social media, has played a role in improving the scam’s believability. The scam operators will sometimes make their claim appear more authentic by using information gleaned from Facebook or other sources.

The FBI’s article on the scam gives the example of a photographer who often works in Mexico. If scammers can find that information on social media, they’ll use it to tailor their trick when speaking with the photographer’s grandparent. For example, the con man may say that he had his camera and passport stolen.

About a dozen “Grandparent Scam” incidents have been reported in town during the past few months, Tyler said. The total number of calls made in town may be higher, as some senior citizens who are scammed don’t want to admit to being fooled afterward, especially if they are wary of losing their financial independence. Others who didn’t fall for the trick may not think to report the incident.

Tyler encouraged those who have experienced the scam, whether or not they actually sent money, to contribute details of the interaction with the con men at the Internet Crime Complaint (IC3) database, a publicly inputted database that is used by law enforcement agencies to track scams.

“It’s a very important ‘I’ to dot,” Tyler said.

The four simple steps to avoiding the “Grandparent Scam”:

• Never wire money based on a phone solicitation.

• Verify the scenario with other family members – it is almost always false.

• Notify local law enforcement.

• Contribute the details of the incident to the IC3 database.