The Michigan Attorney General Office is alerting Michiganders of the latest telephone scam that exploits the love and concern that parents and grandparents have for their kids. The “Family Emergency” scam is making the rounds.
There have been increasing reports of residents being targeted by sophisticated scammers who demand ransom for kidnapped children and by scammers who target grandparents by pretending to be a grandchild in trouble.
Thankfully, there is no actual kidnapping or emergency, but people often fall for such scams out of fear that the claims are real. The criminals often use the correct names of the children to display credibility and prey upon parental fears.
There is a recent report of grandparents being tricked into paying $33,000 to scammers thinking they were talking to their grandson who claimed he was in trouble in Canada and needed money wired immediately.
The Attorney General warns that if you do receive a “Family Emergency” type of call, you should immediately contact the relative to verify their true situation, and of course never send money or give out financial information unless you are 100% sure you know who you are talking to.
Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland
