KLAS-TV Channel 8 News Las VegasScam Targets Nevada Grandparents
HENDERSON, Nev. - A new wave of the so-called "grandparent scam" is striking Southern Nevada. The scam targets unsuspecting senior citizens who think they are helping their grandchildren out of a jam. In fact, they are helping con artists gain access to their money.
A Henderson couple is the latest to fall for the ruse. Marge and Albert Rosenthal received a phone call from a person claiming to be their granddaughter. Mrs. Rosenthal was certain it was her grown granddaughter, who lives out of state.
"The girl was crying on the phone, and it sounded just exactly like my granddaughter," she said. "(She said,) ‘I went to a wedding in Montreal, and I had two glasses of champagne. I need $880… Grandma, can you send it to me? I'll pay you back.'" The scammer convinced the Rosenthals their granddaughter was in a Canadian jail after a drunk-driving accident. "My wife comes to me and says our granddaughter's in jail, and we have to send money," grandparent Albert Rosenthal said.
"She said her lawyer was going to call right away. She hung up, and the lawyer called," Mrs. Rosenthal said. He instructed Mrs. Rosenthal to wire $900 to Montreal. The "lawyer" called back to get the money transfer control number. The Rosenthals complied and signed away $976.
Mrs. Rosenthal called her granddaughter Friday morning to ask about a court date. "She said, ‘I was never in Montreal in all my life… You got scammed,'" Mrs. Rosenthal said. "It's something you just have to write off on the books," Mr. Rosenthal said. "They do target older people. They figure they're gullible."
The scam has targeted grandparents in more than a dozen states. Sometimes, scammers will learn family member names on social networking sites such as Facebook or MySpace before calling. In most cases, the scammers will call at random. One Wisconsin couple lost $19,000.
The Rosenthals have reported the incident to the Henderson Police Department.
