Bucks Co. Police Warn Of 'Grandparent Scam 2.0'

MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — Police in Bucks County are warning the public about a scary new version of the "grandparent scam," in which thieves try to rip off older residents by pretending to be a family member in trouble.

Community Resource Officer Melissa Robison, of the Middletown Township Police Department, posted on social media about what she's calling "Grandparent Scam 2.0." In this version, which she said has been reported in several towns in Bucks and Montgomery counties, the scam artists end up coming to their victim's home to pick up cash.

In the original grandparent scam, someone pretending to be the victim's grandchild or another family member calls and asks for money for some emergency, like an arrest or accident. They ask the victim to buy gift cards, wire money to them or transfer funds in some other way.

In the newly reported version, Robison said, the "grandchild" or someone pretending to be their lawyer offers to send a courier to the victim's home to pick up money.

"You read that correctly — a person actually shows up at their house to take the cash," Robison wrote. "Thousands have already been lost, so please talk to your elderly parents, neighbors, friends, etc."

Robison offered the following tips for avoiding the scam:

• If someone calls claiming to be your grandchild, hang up and call them on the number you have for them.
• Do not give out your address or agree to meet anyone you don't know.
• Be mindful of warning signs. Scammers sometimes explain a different-sounding voice by saying they have a bad cold. They also commonly claim to be out of the country on a vacation and ask you not to call their parents.
• They often say there has been some kind of accident and that they need money quickly. Be wary if they create a huge sense of urgency around a request for money.

In the Middletown area, Robison also is offering to speak with groups of seniors about the grandparent scam, either socially distanced in person or via Zoom or other video chat. He may be contacted at mrobison@mtpd.org or 215-750-3876.

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