8-19-08 Grandparent Alert Western Union Money Gram

Grandparent Alert: Western Union Money Gram

Who could refuse a beloved grandchild who’s in trouble?

You know the answer, so you need to be aware of telephone calls from “grandchildren” asking
for money. Yes, the classic “grandparent scam” is back—with a vengeance.

In recent weeks, police across the country have reported an upsurge in reports of callers who
phone older Americans, posing as their grandchildren in need of fast cash and urging their
victims to send them money via a money order or through a wire service like Western Union or
MoneyGram.

How do they get away with it?

Usually, the phone call starts something like this: “Hi, Grandma, is that you?” or “Hi, Grandpop,
it’s me—your favorite granddaughter!”

“What happens is that the senior may be momentarily confused or not recognize the voice
because of hearing loss, and respond with something like, ‘Mary is that you?’ Once they relate
to a name, they’re pretty much hooked,” explains Detective Carl Filsinger of the Weston, Conn.,
police department. In just two weeks, his department—which serves a town of only 10,000
people—received at least six reports of these phone calls. And since many targets don’t report
these crimes, Filsinger says the number of incidents is probably higher.

One Weston grandmother was about to purchase a $2,400 money order at Wal-Mart—for her
“grandchild”—but a store employee alerted her to the possibility of a scam, says Filsinger.

A common crisis summoned up by callers: They say they’ve been jailed in Canada and ask for
bail money to be wired to that country; that ploy recently duped one Tulsa, Okla., area
grandparent out of $5,500. But recent requests are also for money to pay for car trouble,
tuition, textbooks or other “emergency” expenses.

“The callers stress they need the money fast, and usually want a money order or MoneyGram
rather than a personal check,” says Filsinger. The scammer can easily get the cash, often
without showing identification.

To protect yourself from these phony phone calls:

• Don’t fill in the blanks. If the caller says, “It’s your granddaughter,” respond with “Which
one?” Most likely, the perpetrator will then hang up, says the Washington state
Attorney General’s Office, which has posted an advisory on its website.

• Verify the caller. Always confirm your grandchild’s identity by saying you will return the
call at his or her home or on his cellphone (but don’t ask the caller for it). If you don’t
have your grandchildren’s phone numbers, contact a trusted family member for them.

• Be mum on account numbers. Never provide your bank or credit card account numbers
to any caller—regardless of the reason.

• Be suspicious of requests for money wires.

• So if your “grandchild” calls requesting money, contact your local police department or
state attorney general’s office.

Another example below:

Consumer Alert: “Grandparent scam” targets Washington elderly again

RICHLAND – If your grandchild called seeking help, would you send money? The Washington
Attorney General’s Office is warning Washington residents about the “grandparent scam,” where
cons posing as relatives try to convince elderly victims to wire cash to help pay for emergency
car repairs, medical bills – or even post bail.

An Eastern Washington man contacted the Attorney General’s Office after his 87-year-old
mother nearly fell for the scam. The Tri-Cities woman received a call this week from a young
man who said “Hi, this is your grandson. I’m in trouble.” The caller spun a tale about wrecking a
car in Canada and said he immediately needed $3,000.

The grandmother became suspicious, managed to end the call without divulging any personal
information and promptly called her family. Her grandson was safe at home.

Known as the “grandparent scam” or “grandchild scam,” similar calls have been reported
throughout the country for several years. The cons tend to target elderly people who might have
trouble recognizing voices over the phone. Because the cons usually claim to be embarrassed
and ask to keep the incident a secret, victims neglect to verify the story before sending money.

UPDATE: Grandparents in Western Washington have recently reported that they have become
victims of this scam.

Here’s how to help detect a scam:

1. Don’t fill in the blanks for the scammer. For example:

Caller: "It's your granddaughter."

Grandparent: "Which one?"

Most likely, the con will then hang up.

2. Do whatever is necessary to confirm the real relative’s whereabouts. Call your
grandchild’s home, school or work.

3. Don’t send money unless you have verified that your relative is really in trouble.
If a caller asks for your bank account number or urges you to send money via Western Union or

MoneyGram for any reason, that’s a good indication of a scam. Cons prefer wire transfers
because they are fast, there are transfer agents in most communities and funds can be picked up
in multiple locations.

Just last week, Attorney General Rob McKenna announced a multistate agreement with
MoneyGram that aims to prevent U.S. residents from becoming victims of wire transfer scams.
MoneyGram will pay $1.1 million to fund a national peer-counseling program to be overseen by
the AARP Foundation. The company also agreed to print an attention-grabbing warning on its
form that is used to send money and provide enhanced training to branch agents. State
attorneys general reached a similar agreement in 2005 with Western Union.

Media Contact: Kristin Alexander, Media Relations Manager –Seattle, (206) 464-6432