Crime & Safety
Police Warn of "Grandparent Scam"
After a local elderly victim was scammed out of more than $2,000, North Kingstown Police are alerting residents of the scam.
If you haven’t called your grandmother or grandfather lately, now would be a good time to pick up the phone and check in.
Older citizens are increasingly being targeted by scammers who claim to be a grandson or granddaughter in trouble and in need of some quick cash, usually for bail money, an emergency car repair or some other ruse.
On Jan. 15, North Kingstown Police took a report from an 81-year-old woman who said she realized she had been scammed after she wired $2,000 to a man who claimed to be her grandson.
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In this ruse, the scammer said he was at a wedding in Delaware the night before and hit a telephone pole. He needed $2,000 to pay for the telephone pole, he claimed, because he was from out of state.
The victim was asked to wire $2,000 using the MoneyGram service to Dover, DE.
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The victim then went to a CVS in North Kingstown and wired the money.
The scammer called back a short time later and claimed to have been issued citations for $1,900.
The victim then went back to the bank and wired more money, this time at a North Kingstown Walmart.
A short time later, the victim called her grandson, who was at his home in New Hampshire. After hearing the story, he told her to call the police.
As the victim waited for police, the scammers reportedly called her two more times but hung up when she put them on hold.
Police are investigating the incident and have issued an alert reminding residents to be on alert for such calls.
One key sign that the call is a scam is that the calls are usually made by someone calling “on behalf” of the grandson or granddaughter. And they often don’t state the actual grandchild’s name.
In each instance, the caller claims the grandchild has been in an accident or some situation and desperately needs money. The usual money transfer service used is the MoneyGram service.
If you get a call, contact police right away and contact another family member.
Don’t provide any names, address, telephone number or otherwise confirm any personal information about yourself or your family, police advise.
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