Grandma Scammed Of $1.3K Trying To Help Grandson: Morris Co. PD

HANOVER, NJ — A local grandmother was scammed out of over $1,300 trying to help her grandson, the Hanover Police department said.

The woman, who police did not identify, got a call on April 26 from someone identifying himself as a sergeant from the U.S. Embassy in the Bahamas. The man told the grandmother that her grandson was in jail and would need $1,329.90 in bail money to be let out.

Police say the grandmother explained she didn't have a car, so the scammer sent a taxi to take her to the CVS. There, she sent a MoneyGram to an address in Haiti.

The woman figured out it was a scam when she called her grandson, who assured her he was safe and in New Jersey. Police say the incident remains under investigation.

This scam is a classic example of a "grandparents scam," when fraudsters prey on grandparent's loyalties to their grandchildren. The scammers generally call and say the grandchild is in trouble and needs money; in some version of the scam, the callers ask the grandparents not to alert their children to the incident.

>>You can read more about the "grandparent scam," and other common scam tactics, here.

What you can do right now to protect yourself and your relatives:

1. Be leery about anyone calling on the phone about any emergency. Get a phone number to call back and verify the whereabouts and safety of the person the call is about.
2. Never give out Social Security, Medicare or financial account information over the phone.
3. In general, avoid answering calls from numbers you don't recognize.
4. Don't confirm any personal information. Avoid saying "yes" to any question, as calls may be recorded and the answer can be used as consent for a purchase you didn't request.
5. Don't press any numbers to stop calls. That will likely increase the number of robocalls you get, signaling to the scammers they've reached an active number.
6. Change your voicemail message so it doesn't reveal your name or other personal information. If you want a legitimate caller to know they've reached you, go ahead and put your phone number on the message.
7. Don't return calls that claim to be from the IRS, the Social Security Administration, your bank or a local police or sheriff's department. If you think the message is legitimate, don't return the number left on a voicemail. Instead, look up the legitimate phone number.
8. Register both your landline and your cellphone numbers on the Do Not Call Registry.
9. Report robocalls and other unwanted calls with the FTC, by phone at (888) 382-1222 or (877) 382-4357, or online.
10. The FCC also has tips on how to stop unwanted and illegal robocalls.

With Reporting By Beth Dalbey, Patch National Staff