Full Notification

Recently, a 76-year old resident of San Luis Obispo reported being the victim of what is commonly referred to as “The Grandparent Scam.” In this case, the victim received a phone call from a male suspect identifying himself as the victim’s son. The suspect told the victim he was in legal trouble and needed money sent to an attorney. Another suspect, alleging to be the attorney, joined the phone conversation and directed the victim on how to purchase “Money Pak” or “Green Dot” pre-loaded credit/money cards.

After purchasing the pre-paid credit/money cards the victim provided the account information from the cards to the alleged attorney. The suspects immediately converted the account information to currency before the crime was discovered. The loss to the victim totaled $8,000.

Suspects who commit these, and similar types of scams, are able to avoid law enforcement by using pre-paid non-traceable cell phones that are discarded shortly after the crimes are committed. The suspects will also convert the currency using fraudulent identification. Furthermore, some suspects will operate from outside the United States.

To avoid becoming a victim of these types of scams the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recommends taking the following steps:

 Resist the pressure to act quickly.

 Try to contact your grandchild or another family member to determine whether or not the call is legitimate.

 Never wire money based on a request made over the phone or in an e-mail...especially overseas. Wiring money is like giving cash—once you send it, you can’t get it back.