Scammers do not take a break, even if you are on spring break. We spoke with Micelle Reinen of the Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection, and she informed us of the most popular scams this time of year, the Grandparent, or Friends and Family Scam. “It’s related to spring break, summer vacation travel,” Reinen explained. “Scam artists try and call a senior citizen, typically…and they act as though they are a family relative.” They will then ask for money, claiming they are in some sort of emergency situation.
Michelle told us, “Scenarios we’ve seen is that someone gets arrested, or they’re in a car accident and then have a hospital stay. Or they get mugged and lose their wallet and now they can’t get back home because they have been traveling abroad.” The scammer then plays it like they are calling grandma or grandpa, who typically will do anything for their grandchildren.
A big tell for this scam is when the caller asks the “family member” to keep it secret. If you believe you received such a call, hang up, and call the other family members to see if the person is indeed in trouble.
