Beware Impostor Scams Targeting Grandparents

HARRISBURG, PA -- AARP Pennsylvania is warning consumers about reports of active impostor scams across Pennsylvania that target grandparents and are designed to steal money or personal information.

Here’s how it works:

You receive a call, usually late at night, from someone pretending to be your grandson or granddaughter. They tell you they are in trouble and need you to wire them money immediately.

The caller also may pose as an attorney or law enforcement official contacting you on behalf of a friend or relative. No matter the story, they always want you to send money right away.

But beware. There is a good chance the caller is an impostor trying to steal your money.

Follow these tips to avoid becoming a victim of fraud:

• Do not fill in the blanks. If the caller says, “Hi Grandpa!” or “It’s me, your favorite grandson,” do not offer a name. Instead, make the caller provide a name by asking something like “Which one?” Many fraudsters will hang up, unable to answer.

• Ask questions that would be hard for an impostor to answer correctly, like the names of family pets or their mother’s birthday.

• Do not trust wire transfer requests. Scammers like them because they can pick up the money in cash anywhere in the world, no matter where your “grandchild” alleges to be.

• The best advice is to just hang up on midnight “help me” calls from grandchildren – and legitimately confirm their safety and whereabouts by phoning them or their parents.

For information about other scams, sign up for AARP’s Fraud Watch Network. You’ll receive free email alerts with tips and resources to help you spot and avoid identity theft and fraud and gain access to a network of experts, law enforcement and people in your community who will keep you up to date on the latest scams in your area.

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Editor’s note: Jim Palmquist of Lower Macungie Township is the AARP Pennsylvania State president.