‘Grandparent Scams’ On The Rise In Five County Area

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — ‘Grandparent scams’ are on the rise and the public is asked to remain vigilant, according to police.

The American Association of Retired Person reports that during natural disasters such as hurricanes and in areas with high populations of retirees a new variation of the ‘grandparent scams’ is emerging.

Younger relatives that put word out on social media that a loved one is missing may have been contacted by a scammer claiming to be the missing person and asking for money for a hotel.

According to the Federal Trade Commission in 2015 through the first quarter of 2020, the commissioner logged more than 91,000 reports of scammers posing as a relative or friend of the victim.

According to the Federal Communications Commission:

• Grandparents have a hard time saying ‘no’ to their grandchildren.
• Scammers gain access to their information through social media or cyber thieves.
• The scammer impersonates a grandchild in a crisis situation.
• The best advice if this happens is to hang up immediately.
• If you have a caller ID and you do not recognize a number, hang up immediately.
• Contact other family members or friends if you believe the emergency is real.
• Consumers can file a complaint with the FCC here.

Report suspicious to authorities by dialing 9-1-1.