CLEVELAND, Ohio (Aging Untold) — Crysta Willis received a call that appeared legitimate on her caller ID.
Someone claiming to be law enforcement told her that her grandson had been in an accident and needed bond money immediately.
“Usually a scam says ‘potential scam,’ or something like this, but it was actually somebody’s name with the telephone number,” Willis said.
The caller identified himself as law enforcement and said Willis’ grandson was at fault in an accident and she needed to pay his bond to get out.
How the scam works
The scheme is known as the grandparent scam, which uses fear, urgency and demands for immediate payment.
Sam Cradduck, a gerontologist and Aging Untold expert, said these scams work by triggering emotional responses before victims have time to think clearly.
“Automatically, your adrenaline starts pumping, automatically that flight or fright, automatically that ‘I’ve got to rescue the person I love’ kicks into your brain, and all objectivity goes out the window,” Cradduck said.
Willis knew her 20-year-old grandson was upstairs in her home, so she stayed on the phone and began asking questions.
“I need to know your name so I can call you back,” Willis said. “He’s like, ‘Well, you don’t need to know that information.’”
Willis is a member of the Cuyahoga County Scam Squad in Cleveland. She confronted the caller.
“Then he started like panicking, and he was like, ‘This is my job,’ and I was like, ‘This is your job? Scamming people?’” Willis said.
How to protect yourself
Cradduck said confronting scammers is not necessary to protect yourself. The key is slowing down and verifying the story independently.
“So, you want to have a safe word, you want to keep track of where your family is. If somebody’s calling you and saying your daughter was just in a car accident, hang up the phone and call your daughter’s phone,” Cradduck said.
Willis questioned how many seniors fall victim to the scam.
“How many seniors fall for this and just give up their life savings for something like this? And they’re just trying to help their grandchild,” Willis said.
Experts recommend that if a call creates panic, pause, verify the information and report it to authorities.
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