With many retired people heading to warmer climates this month, an official says they're getting complaints about what's called the "Grandparents Scam".
State Division Administrator of Trade and Consumer Protection, Frank Frassetto, outlines how the scam works...
"....a caller gets hold of an elderly adult and claims, fraudulently, to be a grandchild. Typically they will say they're in an emergency situation or they're having trouble with the law or some type of urgent matter that they need money. They ask the grandparent to wire money down to help them and don't tell anybody else in the family. And of course the minute the money is wired, it's gone...."
Frassetto says often the scammer will have a tidbit about the person they call. Frassetto says this type of fraud is more common than people think.
He says a good way to stop it cold is to have what he calls a "family password", a word or phrase everyone knows in the family. If you are not sure it's the real person, ask the caller to recite the family password. More information is here.
