Andover PD Warns Residents Of 'Grandparent Bail Scam'

ANDOVER, MA — The Andover Police Department is warning residents to be careful of the "grandparent bail scam" and to contact them if they've been a victim of it. According to police, the scam occurs when a caller contacts an older person and pretends to be either a grandchild, an attorney or paralegal for the grandchild or bail bondsman.

As part of the scam, police said the scammer will tell the intended target that their grandchild has been involved in a serious motor vehicle accident or has been arrested and requires money for bail.

The caller will then advise the victim how much money is required to post bail for the grandchild and will coordinate a transfer of the money through the following three methods:

• Money is collected in person from victims by a courier — often times a receipt is provided.
• Money is sent by the victim mainly through UPS and FedEx.
• Money is sent by the victim through wire transfer.

"What did the caller do? They advised you of a sad situation playing on your emotions. But that’s not all, they push you with scenarios to generate fear so you comply and send the money without even processing the information given or time to call your relatives to discuss it further," police said in a recent Facebook post.

How did this happen:

• They give their target a quick deadline, possibly telling them their grandchild is in court as they speak.
• They persuade them not to call any other relatives by begging them to keep this secret.
• They inform them that if they don’t comply the situation will become worse with a harsher punishment for their grandchild.

To avoid these scams and protect your personal information, the Andover Police Department offers the follow advice:

• Take a deep breath and resist the pressure to pay.
• Immediately call or text the “in trouble” grandchild or check with another family member to get the real story.
• Don’t give your address, personal information, or cash to anyone who contacts you.
• Anyone who asks for you to bay by gift card or money transfer is a scammer.

If you received a call or lost money to this kind of scam, call the Andover Police Department at 978-623-3500 to file a report.

If you get any kind of scam call, report it here.