One more thing not to worry about.
No such thing as a “new scam”, just old ones reinvented.
They should include themselves as untrustworthy for trying to do an end-run around their own kids.
How did they not know their own grandchild?
The only comment I can make is that my grandparents would have either laughed their asses off or blown one helluva gasket if I had asked them not to tell my parents that I was in trouble with the law. I’m sure this old couple are very nice people, but to give in to some kid’s request that they send him thousands of dollars and not tell his parents was the first door that opened them up to this scam. That’s taking GP love way too far. I almost...I said ALMOST...don’t feel sorry for them.
One more thing not to worry about.
Ahhh. . . .but until they have Perky Katie (or some other MSM “news” reporter, report it), those grandparents will never hear of the scam. . .or believe it until the MSM reports it. In my home. . . my mother-in-law listens intently to—and believes EVERYTHING—the Perky One tells her. Unless it was reported by the Perky One, it didn't happen, and if it was reported by the Perky One, it happened just like she reported it. Maddening.
The Grand Haven couple lost more than money. They lost their faith in the inherent goodness of people.
Geez, how charmed a life have they led?
“bull Never give out personal identifying information such as bank account or credit card account numbers to anyone you do not know and never send money to an unknown account or entity.”
doh
This is an old scam. I’ve heard about this one for years.
I really, really hate this type of scammer, who play on their victims’ good nature and desire to help others.
Scammers, like the Nigerian bank scammers, who prey on people’s greed (and idiocy) are of a higher moral caliber, IMO, though still wrong of course. I’d gladly let 10 of them go free, if doing so could put 1 grandparent scammer behind bars.
We keep getting a telephone call, that is not a live person, but a recorded voice, saying they have attempted to contact me several times and I must contact them immediately to “correct” the problem. THE PROBLEM is, I do not know who this is calling, because the voice only gives his name, and not who it is that I am suppose to call, what company etc. he is talking about. I told my wife, that if this was such a problem, why is not a live person calling us, and not just a voice mail and giving me a phone number. The real biggie is that we do not have any outstanding problems and have absolutely no idea what scam this is. Anyone else got this call?
One lie (the scammers) followed by another (the grandparents) leads to problems. Who knew?
Dang! Hope they catch the culprits and string them up.
Wow these people are from my town. I hope it’s not catching.
How sad that someone doesn’t even know they aren’t talking to their own grandchild. I mean that literally. Someone is so elderly that they don’t pick up on the not knowing the name or voice of the person.
I’ve gotten a scam phone call recently.
The caller had noted that my daughter had ordered a set of CDs to play on our computer to help her with her SAT tests. They had the FedEx confirmation number ready, but needed a deposit.
Since I never give money away over the phone unless I initiated the call, all sorts of red flags went up. I kept the guy talking on the wireless phone while I walked around the house looking for my daughter...she denied ordering anything and the guy hung up immediately.
Honestly, its not that easy to spot them, they are quite slick. My advice: Never give money to anyone unless you initiate the phone cell.
Hey guys, as I’m reading about this elderly scam, my daughter brings in my mail.
My father gets his AARP mail here and I handle his finances. I see an envelope for him and inside is a check for over $4800.00 and a letter saying he had won $180,000 sweepstakes and that if he deposited the check (which if I wasn’t so world wise and recognized one error on the check someone else might not have, it looks thoroughly real) and sent back the $2,800 fee then they would forward the rest of his “prize money”.
It says it’s a check drawn on JP Morgan Chase, but underneath it says “Dearborm. MI”, which anyone in the financial industry (or in Michigan) knows that is not the name of the city.
I just reported it to the US Postal Service as mail fraud.
Everyone, maybe you should warn your parents and grandparents about this. Seriously, this check looks totally legit and it is a real swift part about the $2,800 fee and I can imagine that this check might be deposited, but not honored. And they have your checking info even if it is honored initially.
Weird this happens right as I was reading this thread.
‘Faith in the inherent good of people’ goes well with utopian thinking, but it does not jibe with the concept of Original Sin.