Grandma Scam Targets Family of Texas Tech Student
By: Lisa Carr
Updated: December 1, 2008
A nationwide scam preying on the elderly has the Better Business Bureau warning you could be next. It's called the "Grandma Scam."
Here's how it works, a grandparent receives a call from someone who's supposed to be their grandchild. The person claims he or she is in some kind of trouble. Things like an automobile accident, a hospital stay or they need bail money. Police aren't sure how the scammers get the names and numbers of the seniors, but elderly across the nation have fallen victim to this scam.
In fact, the grandmother of one Texas Tech student was a target of the scam recently. June Clark of Ohio, says earlier this week someone called her claiming to be her grandson, Tyler, who attends Texas Tech. He told her a story about being stranded in Canada and needing her credit card number to buy a plane ticket back home. Soon, Clark was able to hear that it was not her grandson's voice and as soon as she started asking the caller questions about himself, he just hung up. Clark says she's glad she was smart enough to not fall victim to the "Grandma Scam" and she's hoping others will stay alert and do the same.
If you think you've been the victim of this scam or some other scam, report it to the Better Business Bureau or call Police.
