THUNDER BAY – As originally reported on July 8th on NNL, the Grandmother Scam has reared its head in Thunder Bay once again. Thunder Bay Police are now reporting, “There have been a number of concerns raised in phone calls to seniors regarding the “Grandparent Scam” in the Thunder Bay area.
This is an on-going scam. Seniors are being warned to be aware of these phone calls. The caller usually pretends to be a lawyer representing the seniors’ grandchild. This person goes on to say that the grandchild has been involved in an accident where they had been drinking. They will say the grandchild is in jail and needs the grandparent to wire money by Western Union to help with legal fees to get the grandchild out of jail.
The fraudsters will tell the grandparent not to call anyone else to verify this story and the need to have this money sent right away. This scam is successful because the grandparents want to help their grandchild and don’t check with other family members.
If you receive a phone call like this, DO NOT give any money. You can contact Phone Busters at 1-888-495-8501 (toll free) to report suspicious calls. You can also visit their website at www.phonebusters.com.