COLORADO SPRINGS — Scam artists who are bilking the elderly out of thousands of dollars by pretending to be their grandchildren in distress have targeted at least two people in Colorado Springs.
In the nationwide scam, grandparents receive a frantic phone call from someone posing as a grandchild, who claims to be in some kind of trouble while traveling in Canada, according to a Colorado Springs Police report. The scam artists may claim to have been in a car crash, arrested, or in need of car repairs, and they ask for thousands of dollars to be wired to them.
The two people targeted in Colorado Springs were asked for $4,300-$5,000.
Police say some victims have unknowingly helped scammers by providing information, such as filling in blanks about details and names during the conversation. A variation on the scam involves two people, one of them posing as a law enforcement officer who explains the fines that must be paid.
When some people have questioned the callers’ voice, the person responds that they are sick. But the Colorado Springs residents and others who have been called say the scammers sound “exactly” like their grandchildren, according to police.
Police recommend:
