Smart About Money: Anti-Scam Defenses

Recently a woman told me how she nearly fell for the “Grandchild Scam.” She got a call from someone saying it was her grandson and he was in jail. She isn’t sure because it all happened so fast, but she thinks she said, “Michael, is that you?”

The person replied, “Yes, Gram. Please help me!”

Nick Maffeo

This woman did everything right. She was rattled but she got off that call and tried to reach her grandson. Unfortunately, he didn’t pick up. She couldn’t reach her daughter or son-in-law either. That’s when she panicked.

(Which is exactly why people “keep falling” for these kinds of scams. They’re badly frightened and they act in a panic.)

Working on instructions from the scammers, she went to the bank to withdraw $15,000 for “bail money.” Luckily for her, she was honest when the teller asked why she was withdrawing such a large amount. “My grandson is in jail!” she blurted out, almost crying.

The teller knew it was probably a scam. She called in the branch manager, who was able to help the woman connect with her grandson. No surprise — he wasn’t in jail.

This woman was seriously shaken as most people are after a scam encounter. But thanks to her honesty and willingness to trust the folks at her bank, that scam was stopped.

Sometimes I read how people say they would react to such a scam. They say they’d tell the caller to keep the grandson in jail for a few days because that “might do him some good.”

In the abstract, it’s a funny line. When it actually happens to you or someone you care about — when there’s a frightening call and a problem with intense pressure to solve it immediately — it might seem very different. Especially when it can be hard to reach others to confirm or disprove the scary story.

That is why it pays to be prepared and have a practiced plan in case a scammer does get through.

Here are three simple things you can do to be ready to rebuff a phone call scammer. Consider having occasional “fire drill” reviews of these points so they’re top-of-mind in a scam attempt situation.

1.) Get in the habit of never picking up a call from a number or name you don’t recognize or one that seems “off” — like if Caller ID (which can be spoofed) says it’s the local police or Amazon. Let those calls go to voicemail. If they don’t leave a message, it was almost certainly a scammer fishing for victims.

2.) Any mention of “secrecy” and/or “urgency” by a caller with an alarming story means you are dealing with a scammer. No one in real life ever demands money plus secrecy and urgency — certainly not the police or any government agency, period. (Remember: The government almost always sends letters.)

3.) If you can’t reach anyone to confirm a frightening phone call, call the Canton Police at 781-828-1212 and tell them what the caller told you. You won’t be bothering the police at all, and they will be very happy to help keep you from becoming the victim of a scam.

Please talk to people you know — people of all ages — about avoiding being scammed. If you have avoided being scammed, I would love to hear your story. Email me at submissions@thecantoncitizen.com.

Nick Maffeo is the President & CEO of Canton Co-operative Bank in Canton.

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=126599

Posted by Nick Maffeo on Sep 12 2024. Filed under Featured Content, Opinion, Smart About Money. Both comments and pings are currently closed.