The telephone woke me Thursday, and I was pleased to hear my granddaughter say, "Hi, grandma."
"Hi, Cecilia," I replied.
Just waking up, I was confused when she said she'd been in a car accident and broken her nose. Also, it seemed like she'd developed a slight accent since I'd seen her this summer. Although she was born in Miami Beach, she's lived in Madrid for seven years so it's possible her voice might change.
For a moment, I pictured her injured. Then, fully awake, I got it. I was being scammed by the Grandparent Scam.
I told the woman I'm a consumer journalist and write about this scam all the time. Then, I hung up.
Next time, I'll play along. I wondered later where they'd tell me to wire the money. My granddaughter is 12 and lives overseas. The scammer's directions to wire money somewhere in the United States wouldn't have made sense.
So, don't think scams like this are old. Although scammers are creating new scams all the time, they keep working the old ones, too. For a grandparent who has an older grandchild who might be traveling, a call like this might seem like plausible scenario. Just hang up.
