Investigators are calling it granny scam. Telephone callers who target senior citizens. and convince those seniors to wire thousands of dollars to someone they believe is a relative visiting Canada and in trouble.
When the phone rings and the caller says this is your grandson. It might be someone trying to scam you instead. It's a big, big problem: "It's huge, and it's growing."
Since the summer, Hamilton County investigators have been looking into five calls with similar MO's. The caller claims to be a grandson, or nephew, says he's been in an accident and needs cash, asking Gram for money via Moneygram. "And when they get that reference number they can pick that money up at any Moneygram location at any Western Union location or Moneygram location anywhere."
The "I'm in Trouble in Canada" scam has fleeced nearly 25 million dollars from Americans this year. And how are victims targeted... it's probably at random: Let's just say they get a list of phone numbers or an area code and start dialing numbers. they may go through 20, 50, a hundred before they get somebody. "They may get a few thousand dollars out of a person but they're calling all day."
In our area, senior citizens have sent $7,000 from Colerain Township, $7500 from Anderson Township, $18,00 from Sycamore Township, $6000 from Green Township. and $3000 from North Bend.
Local 12's Jeff Hirsh talked on the phone with one of the victims. She did not want to go on camera but she told him the guy who called seemed convincing enough and sincere enough, so she sent him the money. But then started having second thoughts, and the guy called back the next day, asking for more. She asked him to name his mother's birthday. The guy hung up, and she knew she had been scammed.
The odds of ever getting the money back? "Slim to none."
