New York Grandparents Fall Victim to ‘Pandemic’ Scam
There aren't many things worse than people who specifically look to target and take advantage of the elderly. As time goes on, we've become much more hip to these scams through information and alerts, but swindlers are relentless and tend to find new ways to get grandma and grandpa's money. The latest warning from the New York Attorney General informs of the "grandparent scam" that specifically targets the elderly during the pandemic when they might be a bit more emotional or vulnerable. This scam may use COVID-19 as the bait, and then the crooks set the trap and take your money. Here's how you can protect the elder people in your world.
According to a report from WKBW, the COVID-19 scam preys on what would be any grandparent's worst nightmare. The source is reporting that according to New York Attorney General Letitia James , the scammers call the grandparent pretending to be the grandchild (who they haven't seen in months as a result of the pandemic) asking them for money.
“Due to COVID-19 restrictions, many grandparents have not seen their grandchildren for months and may be especially susceptible to this common and despicable scam,” -Attorney General James (WKBW)
In a recent press release, the Attorney General said the scam typically works by preying on the emotion of the grandparent who may be at their most vulnerable during the pandemic. "A senior receives an unexpected call from someone who claims to be their grandchild. The caller then falsely claims that there is an emergency and asks the grandparent to immediately send money," according to the message by the Attorney General.
The Attorney General is hoping that by spreading the information, these scammers will become less successful at duping and preying on the elderly over time.
For more information on how to protect yourself from these would-be scam artists, click here.
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