My mom got the "Grandma?" call many years ago. She had not heard of the scam and was very concerned that her grandson was in trouble. She asked him why he didn't call his mom or his dad to help him (he would have been about 18-20 at that time and supposedly was stranded in a jail in Mexico). Something seemed hinky to her in the answer to her question, so she said, "Tell me your middle name!" and CLICK. I congratulated her later that her antenna was up and she smelled something fishy even though she would have done anything to help her grandson.
After that, she was plagued on and off for a couple of years by someone who repeatedly called and addressed her as "Miss-y her last name." She knew he was full of it and told him to stop calling her--but he persisted. One time my brother who is an attorney was visiting when the "Missy" call came through--and he took the phone and ripped the guy, gave his credentials and said he would take him to court faster than he could blink if he ever called again. The calls stopped.
It is infuriating to see that these crooks prey on the elderly and. particularly, on women. I hate that they use the threat of a family member to do this. My sister and her kids lived five states away, and my mom would not have been knowledgeable of their every move.
After that, she was plagued on and off for a couple of years by someone who repeatedly called and addressed her as "Miss-y her last name." She knew he was full of it and told him to stop calling her--but he persisted. One time my brother who is an attorney was visiting when the "Missy" call came through--and he took the phone and ripped the guy, gave his credentials and said he would take him to court faster than he could blink if he ever called again. The calls stopped.
It is infuriating to see that these crooks prey on the elderly and. particularly, on women. I hate that they use the threat of a family member to do this. My sister and her kids lived five states away, and my mom would not have been knowledgeable of their every move.