Scammers will try anyone this holiday season, but they especially love grandma and grandpa.
Grandparent scams make the Better Business Bureau’s “12 Scams of Christmas” countdown.
Someone will typically call a senior posing as a grandchild or family member then claim they've been in an accident, arrested, hospitalized and say they need help. That help is often financial and they request money be sent right away.
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The first thing you should do in this situation is verify the emergency. Resist the urge to act immediately no matter how dramatic the story is.
Verify the caller and ask them questions a stranger wouldn't know. Check the story out by calling a friend or family member, and don't wire any money.
Report any possible fraud to the Federal Trade Commission. For more information on this scam, click here.
In 2016, the FTC received nearly 15,000 impostor friend and family complaints.
