Iowa Officials Issue New Warning About Old Scam

A scam that's been making its way across America for the better part of the past two decades is popping up again in Iowa and that's prompting officials in the Hawkeye State to issue new warnings

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and the Department of Public Safety are sounding the alarm about a new wave of 'grandparent scams' after several communities in the state have seen an uptick in incidents involving criminal groups to swindle predominately older Iowans.

In a press release, officials issued a reminder about how the scam is perpetuated.

It begins with a phone call to a grandparent from someone posing to be a grandchild claiming they have been in an accident, hospitalized, jailed, or even in a foreign country. Then, they ask the grandparent to send money to help them.

In an attempt to gain the trust of victims, scammers will often use details about their grandchild that were obtained from social media accounts. The scammer might also team up with another scammer who pretends to be someone backing up the scammer’s claims, such as an 'attorney', 'doctor', or 'police officer'.

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Officials recommend the following tips to protect against the grandparent scam:

• Hang Up. End the call and verify the information.
• Contact a trusted family member. Call a verified phone number for your grandchild, another family member, or a friend to check out the story - even if you have been told to keep it a secret.
• Verify the person’s identity. Ask questions about your loved one that a stranger would not know.
• Resist the urge to act quickly or secretly. If someone asks for money immediately and uses fear, excitement, or sympathy, it’s a scam.
• Report the scam to local law enforcement authorities. Scammers attack several residents and communities, so get assistance for yourself and help others avoid scam efforts.
• Don’t answer the door unless you know and trust the visitor. Don’t send money. Do not give out personal information, cash, wire money, or send a check or money order by overnight delivery or courier.
• File a complaint. In addition to notifying local law enforcement authorities, scam calls can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission and the Office of the Iowa Attorney General.

Iowans suspicious of a grandparent scam should immediately contact local law enforcement for assistance or the Iowa Attorney General’s Office at 1-888-777-4590 or IowaAttorneyGeneral.gov.

They may also file a complaint with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov/.

This grandparent scam is not new – the Attorney General’s Office has warned Iowans about it since at least 2008.