Have you ever heard of the “grandkid scam?”
It’s not a scam to give you a relative you never had before. Instead, it’s when somebody calls you from out of the blue, saying that person is one of your grandchildren, and says he or she needs money immediately — possibly for bail or medical expenses.
The Coffey County Sheriff’s Office says scammers can be convincing over the phone, and they can bolster their credibility by some rather unsavory methods, including research into social media accounts or hacking into email accounts.
If you get such a call and you have any questions about whether it’s legitimate, the Sheriff’s Office says you should look up your grandchildren’s phone numbers and call other family members to get input. If you get a call that you know is not right, call the Federal Trade Commission at 877-FTC-HELP.
