Grandparent scam on the rise again - Scammers play on family ties, emotions

Usually Sara* has a cool head when it comes to emergencies, but when she received a phone call from her grandson saying he was in trouble in Canada, all rational thought gave way to emotions, pushing her to act. This is exactly what the scammer posing as her grandson was hoping she would do.

Sara, a Fallbrook resident, received a call on Jan. 27 from a young male who addressed her as “Grandma.”

Sara immediately assumed the caller was her grandson, Craig*, a 17-year-old who resides in Orange County. The caller proceeded to tell Sara that he had gotten into trouble with law enforcement in Canada...