The Better Business Bureau is warning older Iowans about a scam making the rounds during this Spring Break season.
The con usually involves a phone caller claiming to be grandchild in distress while off somewhere vacationing. The bureau’s Dan Hendrickson says scammers ask to have money wired to them and often beg the senior not to tell their parents.
“People should never wire money to someone they haven’t met, even if they think they’re helping a loved one out of a jam,” Hendrickson says. “Just know that in many cases where seniors have wired away money to supposedly help a loved one get out of jail, that money has wound up gone.” Hendrickson says if you think you’re being scammed, ask questions only your grandchild would be able to answer.
“Scammers will call a senior and say, ‘Grandma or Grandpa, it’s me,’ and then the grandparents will say, ‘Oh, Timmy’ or ‘Jim’ and right there, they’ve given the scammer something to work with because the scammer will say, ‘Yes, it’s Jim,’ and start to work them.” Hendrickson recommends if you think you’ve received such a call, report it to the BBB’s Scam Tracker as soon as possible.