Iowans Warned About Recent Rise In “Grandparent” Scams

Scammers are starting the year off strong in Iowa.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and the Iowa Department of Public Safety are warning residents about an increase of a certain kind of scam, according to the Des Moines Register.

It's called a "grandparents" scam.

A "grandparents" scam is when a scammer impersonates the victim's grandchild in a phone call. The scammer might say they've been arrested, they're in the hospital, or they're stuck in a foreign country. But the scammer will always ask the victim for "help" by sending money.

It's gross but it's nothing new. The AG's office says these have been going on since 2008 but there's an uptick in them lately.

But the creep factor rises too. The "grandparents" scammers will sometimes go as far as to send someone to the victim's house to pick up the money. Scammers might use info they can find on the grandkids via social media or team up with other scammers pretending to be police, attorneys, etc.

How To Avoid It

There are a few things you can do to avoid sending money to these scammers.

• Verify that the call is legitimate. Check with family members and ask the scammer a question only your real grandkid would know.
• Do not act quickly or secretly.
• Hang up if your gut feeling is off. These scammers try to get money by acting really emotional.
• Don't answer the door if you don't know who's there.
• Don't give out your banking info or personal info over the phone. Don't send a check through the mail either.

If you or someone in your family is a victim to a "grandparent" scam, reach out to local law enforcement.