Anchorage Police Department has received 10 reports and multiple other complaints regarding the “Grandparent Scam.” In one case a person sounding just like the grandmother’s grandson called to tell her he had been in a wreck and needed money for medical bills.

Another caller purporting to be a grandson told the intended victim that he was attending a wedding in Peru and had a DUI accident and needed $2,350 for bail. A different grandmother was tricked into sending multiple payments for her fictitious grandson’s accident in Peru which added up to $9,385.00. The “grandson” asked her not to tell his parents about the accident so she never contacted them but just kept sending money to the caller.

Most of the callers, this time that the scam is run, claim they are calling from Peru. Usually they are asking for bail money or money for medical treatment which can be sent via Western Union. These crooks can easily find unsuspecting grandparents using social media pages such as Facebook and other Internet sites.

DON’T FALL FOR THIS SCAM!!

Always check out any relative’s story before sending money, especially to a foreign country. Police in the United States cannot pursue these crooks in other countries.

Source: Anchorage Police Department