September 7, 2018 – As we celebrate Grandparent’s Day, Sunday, September 9, 2018, let’s remember to protect our senior citizens by helping them avoid being victims of the “Grandparent Scam.” 

According to police and consumer protection advocates, seniors are often targets of scams and con artists, who prey on seniors because they find them frequently accessible at home. One of the troubling deceptions occurs when a scam artist calls a senior and poses as their grandchild. The caller claims to be in some type of trouble or distress (i.e. serious accident, jail, legal trouble), frequently in a foreign country.  The alleged grandchild instructs the senior not to contact other family members, but urges the grandparent to wire money or gift card information as soon as possible. Once the victim wires the money or provides gift card accounts – a more recent trend - that money is gone forever and the senior becomes a scam victim.

County Executive Latimer said: “It’s all of our responsibility to ensure we are vigilant for these kinds of scams. Educate yourselves, your neighbors and your loved ones to avoid becoming a victim. It can happen to any of us.”

Consumer Protection Director Jim Maisano said: “Unfortunately, senior citizens in Westchester have been victimized by this scam. These calls often come from outside the state or country which makes it difficult for law enforcement to prosecute. Let’s all contact our senior citizens and urge them to follow these tips to avoid becoming a victim of this scam.”

Westchester County Senior Programs Commissioner Mae Carpenter said: “Our seniors are often targeted by these scams – so it is very important to be on the look-out. Ask questions, don’t give out any personal information and never send money to an unknown person.”

Make sure that your loved ones follow these simple steps to avoid falling victim:

  • Verify that the caller is really your grandchild – hang up and call another family member or grandchild to confirm.

  • If the caller claims to be your grandson or granddaughter, ask the caller for his or her name. Don’t provide the name yourself. Usually, the caller cannot properly identify the name of the grandchild and you will know it’s a scam - hang up the phone immediately.

  • Never provide personal information on an unsolicited phone call to anyone.

  • Never send or wire money or gift cards to an unknown person or account based on an unsolicited phone call, such as the Grandparent Scam