Identity fraud, more often than not, happens to those consumers who are wealthy and living comfortably. But there are also those who seek to victimize the most vulnerable among us, including the financially discouraged, the sick, and more recently, senior citizens. “Grandparent scams,” or those scams specifically designed to prey on the trusting nature of our eldest relatives, have been reported more frequently according to law enforcement in Merrill, Wisconsin.
WSAW-TV in Wausau, Wisconsin ran a story reporting a recent case of attempted grandparent scamming that demonstrates just how meticulous modern day con artists can be. A grandparent scammer contacted Katherine Westfall, 81, of Merrill during the first week of February. The caller informed Westfall that her granddaughter was being held in a Canadian
prison and required that bail funds be wired immediately. The scammer even went as far as to allow Westfall to talk to a person impersonating her
granddaughter.
Convinced, Westfall attempted to wire the money, a total of $885, at a Check ‘n Go payday loan center. Fortunately, the manager on duty was able to stop the transaction on suspicion that she was being misled. According to police, the impersonator identified herself to Westfall using personal information taken from publically accessible social networking sites.
WSAW-TV did not specify whether or not specific identity theft tools were used in the prevention of the scam targeting Westfall; however, this situation is a prime example of why identity fraud prevention systems are an essential part of any business that deals directly with the consumer, either online or in person. Not only did the Check ‘n Go manager prevent his or her store from participating in the con, but he or she also protected a consumer from this and future scamming attempts.
The situation is under investigation by American and Canadian authorities.