Identifying a Family Member Scam

First, scammers visit social media sites, like Facebook, to collect information such as a grandchild’s name, a parent’s name, any current trips, place of work or even the town they live in. This information will help the scammer sound more convincing during the call.

The scammer will then call their victim and claim to be a grandchild or close family member. They’ll sound distressed by crying or talking quietly, which makes it difficult to hear and intentionally makes it hard for the victim to clarify if it truly is their family member’s voice. Some common claims scammers have used are that they’ve been in a car accident, are in trouble with the law or may have had travel mishaps such as missing a plane.

To help further convince the victim, the scammer then hands the phone over to another participating scammer who claims to be a law enforcement agent, a doctor or an airline attendant. If the victim is convinced, the scammer will then request money to be sent to remediate the situation.

Scammers can be very convincing and pushy, so how do you know what to look for? Here are some red flags to watch for if you receive this type of phone call:

• Caller does not identify themselves with their full name
• They’re distressed and are communicating with a high level of urgency
• They may know a family member’s first name, but avoid answering questions
• Caller will claim they’re in trouble or are traveling
• They ask that you do not tell anyone else
• The caller tells you that an attorney will be calling you