Phone scams on the rise as 87-year-old woman scammed out of $26K
HINGHAM - Hingham Police are warning residents that the "Grandparent Scam" is out there again after an 87-year-old woman was scammed out of $26,000 on Tuesday.
The woman received a call from an unfamiliar phone number. The caller told her that her grandson had been in a car accident in Vermont and injured a pregnant woman. The caller gave the woman a phone number to call the "lawyer." The lawyer said her grandson needed $26,000 cash bail. The woman got the money and put the cash in the box. Tuesday night a woman knocked on the door and said she was from the bail bondsman company and took the $26,000.
The U.S. Marshals Service also said incidents of scammers claiming to be U.S. Marshals have been increasing, as scammers request money or personal information, claiming the victim's identity has been stolen and used for illegal acts.
Law enforcement agencies said scammers frequently spoof phone numbers, so the number on caller ID is the number of a law enforcement agency. They may also identify themselves by giving badge numbers and names of actual law enforcement officials.
Some tips to avoid being scammed:
- Law enforcement officials will never ask for credit cards, gift cards, wire transfers or bank routing numbers over the phone.
- Do not give personal or financial information to an unknown caller
- If you don't recognize a phone number, don't answer. This will give you time to verify the caller.
- Scammers often try to prevent you from checking their story by claiming to be embarrassed or asking the victim not to tell anyone what happened.
- Report scam phone calls to your local FBI office and to the FTC or your local police department.
