Phone scam in Ohio targets grandparents
Associated Press
COLUMBUS
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is warning older people to be aware of a phone scam that targets grandparents.
It involves a con artist calling grandparents and claiming to be a grandchild who is away from home, in trouble and in need of money. The grandparents are asked to send thousands of dollars to help the grandchild return home safely.
DeWine’s office says the scam has been pulled off about 40 times in Ohio this year, with the average reported loss of more than $4,000.
DeWine says grandparents are targeted because they are more likely than parents to send money with no questions asked.
Grandparents targeted by the scam often are told their grandchild has been in an accident or arrested for driving under the influence.