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Scammers pose as your children, grandchildren on Spring Break

Posted at 6:19 PM, Mar 18, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-18 18:19:58-04

INDIANAPOLIS — Spring Break is upon us, which means phone scammers are kicking it into high gear.

The Indiana Attorney General’s office said you should be leery if you get a call from your child or grandchild claiming they’re on vacation and in trouble.

In the “grandparent scam,” the scammers pose as a family member saying they’ve been stranded, mugged, hospitalized or even arrested.

“They committed a DUI or they're in jail,” Betsy DeNardi, director of consumer protection at the Indiana Attorney General’s office, said. “There's an emergency that's occurred and they need you to send money right now, either by wiring it or they say they have an attorney that's assisting them so they'll put the attorney on the line, which is another scammer. "

The “grandparent scam” is not new, but the Attorney General’s office is expecting an increase in complaints given scammers step up their efforts during Spring Break.

Last year, the state received more than 300 hotline calls about grandparent scams.

“The average money lost is $4,000 to $6,000 but we did have one individual who lost $116,000,” DeNardi said.

Typically, it’s a poor connection, which makes it tough to tell if it’s really your loved one.

The caller often asks you to wire money or send gift cards.

"If you do give money, they're going to call you again and ask for even more money," DeNardi said. “If you’re going to wire money to someone, you should really verify beforehand that it really is the person that you think it is and they really need that money. No one is going to want you to send gift cards if they really are in jail or they need a rental car.”

It can be downright impossible for the Attorney General’s office to track down the perpetrators, who are often overseas and scour social media for Spring Breakers and families to target.

"We do encourage individuals to contact us so that we can get information and share it with other law enforcement entities to try and do as much as we can to find those culprits and hold those accountable," DeNardi said.

DeNardi recommends hanging up and calling your loved one from a different phone.

“Call them on that cellphone and see if they answer and get information from them,” DeNardi said. “Sometimes they’re not actually on vacation or on Spring Break and they should let you know it’s a scam and you shouldn’t be sending money anywhere.”

The Better Business Bureau offers the following tips to protect yourself:
· Know the red flags. Typically, the grandparent receives a frantic phone call from a scammer posing as a grandchild, or a friend of the grandchild. The “grandchild” explains that he or she is in some kind of trouble and needs help. The "grandchild" pleads to the grandparents not to tell his or her parents and asks that they wire thousands of dollars for reasons such as posting bail, repairing a car, covering lawyer's fees or even paying hospital bills.

· Stay calm. Emergency scams count on an emotional reaction. It’s important to resist the pressure to act quickly or react to the caller’s distress. Tell them you’ll call back and ask for a number; then contact your grandchild or another family member to determine whether or not the call is legitimate, and confirm the whereabouts of the grandchild.

· Ask a personal question, but don’t disclose too much information. If a caller says "It's me, Grandma!" don't respond with a name, but instead let the caller explain who he or she is. One easy way to confirm their identity is to ask a simple question that the grandchild would know such as what school he or she goes to or their middle name. Your family might consider developing a secret code or password that can be used to verify a true emergency.

· Do not wire money. Wiring money is like giving cash—once you send it, you can’t get it back. If you are asked to wire money based on a request made over the phone, especially to locations overseas, consider it a serious red flag. Always make certain of the recipient’s identity before using a wire service or pre-paid debit cards.

· Communicate. Students should share travel plans with family members before leaving the state or country. Parents are encouraged to let extended family members know when their child is traveling.

· Share information. Students should provide cell phone numbers and email addresses of friends they are traveling with in the case of an emergency. Family members should remind students to be cautious when sharing details about travel plans on social media.

· Make a report. To report a scam or learn more about the latest scams trending in your area, go to bbb.org/scamtracker.