Home » City Council, Community » Help Me Grandma and Grandpa Scam Alert

Help Me Grandma and Grandpa Scam Alert

yavapai county sheriff officeSedona AZ (May 1, 2013)A woman in Yavapai County has been scammed out of $3000.00 recently.

Are you next?

Before we start, let me ask you a few questions to see if you may be the next target. How active are you on the various social networks? Do you have a profile on Facebook, do you place ads on Craigslist, and do you Twitter? If the answer is yes, you may be placing yourself at risk.

Did you receive a Facebook post from your Grandson saying that he is having a good time on Spring Break in Cancun? How about that piece of furniture you sold on Craigslist? OK, now I have your phone number from Craigslist and I’m going to make you think that your Grandson or Granddaughter is in trouble somewhere. I’ll run a few computer programs that give me an idea where you live, where the “money-gram” locations are nearby, and now I’m ready to call you.

I’m going to call you after 9:00 PM, since I know you have been napping or are getting ready for bed. Maybe 10:00 PM just to be sure!

I’m going to say something like this:

“Hello, Grandma/Grandpa. I’m on spring break and got myself into trouble. Will you please, please help me with bail? And whatever you do, don’t call Mom or Dad. I’ll have my lawyer call you in a few minutes. I have to go now; they only allow me 2 minutes for the phone call. (Sobs & tears) Please help!!!”

Within 3-5 minutes you will get the call from the “lawyer.”

He is going to say something like this:

“Hello, my name is ———. I’m a court appointed lawyer for the Court System of Mexico, and your Grandson has said you will post his bail. The judge in this case is a friend of mine and he is letting me settle this on an expedited manner. So please listen carefully! The bail is $1505.50 and can only be paid by either Western Union or Money Gram. Both can be arranged in person at a store near you or by telephone and paid for by credit card. Here is the number (xxx) xxx-xxxx and here is the address to wire the money to….please call me at (xxx) xxx-xxxx with the pin number as soon as you complete the wire.”

You do as you are told and call him with the pin number.

Early the next morning you receive another call from the lawyer.

“I’m very sorry to bother you but there is a mix up in the court paper work. Could you please resend the amount (the same as last night) and the court will issue a refund upon receipt of the second wire. And since you charged the wire to your credit card, please give me your date of birth and social security number to verify good faith with the court.”

In our real case, reports Yavapai County Sheriff’s office deputies, the money was sent to Mexico but the calls came from Canada.

Had Grandma/Grandpa called her son or daughter first, she/he would have found out that Grandson/Granddaughter was at home and not in Mexico.

With all her good intentions, Grandma was scammed. Now armed with Grandma’s date of birth and social security number, the phony lawyer will open up lines of credit and get credit cards using her identity!

REMEMBER THIS!

These scammers are professionals at what they do! Use your caller ID; don’t take calls from people you don’t know. If you don’t have caller ID, screen the caller very carefully – and when in doubt, hang up!

NEVER give out your personal information over the telephone unless you originated the call. NEVER-NEVER give out your social security number, date of birth or mother’s maiden name to anybody. No legitimate concern will ever ask for this information over the phone!

NOW WHAT TO DO? Don’t be embarrassed. Go to www.IC3.gov and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

SedonaEye.com article written and submitted by Anthony Palermo, Yavapai County Sheriff’s office.

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3 Comments

  1. We have been receiving information from around the county that you may have received a document titled “DEED PROCESSING NOTICE”. This is an offer to supply you with a copy of your deed and property profile for $83.00. This may be a legitimate offer, but grossly overpriced.

    You may get a copy of your deed from the Yavapai County Recorder’s Office for around $8.00. The price they charge is $3.00 for certification and $1.00 for each page of the deed. You may also get your property description online free on the county’s web page, http://www.yavapai.us and click on GIS Mapping.

    Stay safe,
    Tony

    Anthony J. (Tony) Palermo CCPS
    Community Relations Specialist
    Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office
    255 E. Gurley Street
    Prescott, AZ 86301
    928.777.7223

  2. New utility scam is popping up across the nation – The Better Business Bureau reports that scammers are calling people and claiming to work for a local electric, water or gas company. The callers tell people that they’re late on a utility bill and that their service will be cut off if they don’t pay immediately. Then they instruct people to purchase a prepaid debit card to pay their bill and call them back with the card number. Thieves then drain the value from the card.

    http://homes.yahoo.com/news/new-utility-scam-to-beware-of-214834097.html

    Use the link here to read full story. Don’t be STUPID.

  3. Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office Anthony (Tony) Palermo is alerting the public to a new scam targeting Walmart customers. If you or anyone that you know have been a victim of this or any other scam, contact him using the information below:

    “Walmart is warning customers of phishing emails that may seek personal and credit information. There was a false email sent to a number of people yesterday morning claiming to be from Walmart.com.

    This email looks like a confirmation of a purchase made on Walmart.com, but is actually a phishing email attempting to gather information from the recipient,” the company said in a statement.

    Again, this email is not from Walmart.com and it is important that recipients do not click on any links in the email or respond in any way. We are investigating the source of the email and working with appropriate authorities.”

    Stay safe
    Tony

    Anthony J. “Tony” Palermo
    Community Relations Specialist
    Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office
    255 E. Gurley Street
    Prescott, AZ 86301
    928.771.7223
    anthony.palermo@yavapai.us

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