Scammers target elderly family with info from Facebook, MySpace sites

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette

Wednesday, June 29, 2011, 6:30 p.m. — Scammers are tapping into social media sites like Facebook and MySpace to glean information to assist them conducting scams against elderly family members.

Attorney General Jack Conway issued a new warning about the return of the “grandparent’s scam.”

In this scam, the perpetrators contact family members — often an elderly relative or grandparent — posing as a younger family member who needs money immediately to pay a fine, transportation or medical costs incurred while away from home.

The AG’s office has received nearly a dozen complaints so far this year, with losses totalling nearly $40,000. Four of the complaints were received within the last month.

In a recent case, a Ft. Mitchel, Ky. woman reported being scammed out of $4,800 after agreeing to wire money to someone who claimed to be her grandson. The “grandson” said he had been in an accident in Mexico City and asked that money be sent to him through a money transfer service. The victim complied with the request and wired the money.

Other Kentucky victims of the “grandparent’s scam” include an Owensboro man who lost more than $8,100, a Benton woman who wired $6,000 to someone pretending to be her grandson and a Jenkins grandmother who thought she was wiring $3,000 to her grandchild in Spain following a DUI arrest.

The AG’s office press release reports that scammers are portraying themselves as policemen or lawyers calling on behalf of a grandchild. The scammers are often difficult to track down as many of the calls originate overseas.

The AG’s office recommends consumers check the security settings on their social-media accounts. Privacy settings should only allow confirmed friends to access personal information.

Consumers who suspect they have been a victim of a scam can call the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-888-432-9257 or visit http://ag.ky.gov/civil/consumerprotection/.

-30-