Palo Alto Police are warning residents about a scam targeting grandparents that can cost victims thousands of dollars.
Over the past few years, the Palo Alto Police Department has investigated numerous cases of the ‘grandson scam,’ in which a victim is contacted by someone claiming to be his or her grandson or granddaughter via email or phone.
The caller claims to have been arrested, robbed or involved in a car crash overseas and to be desperate for money to pay for vehicle repairs, return travel, bail or a lawyer.
Find out what's happening in Palo Altowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
In one variation of the scam, the caller purports to be a lawyer calling on behalf of the jailed family member. These scams most often target elderly people who are rarely able to recover stolen money. Police say the perpetrators of these crimes are usually overseas, making arrest and prosecution difficult or impossible.
On Wednesday, police received a report that an elderly victim suffered a loss of more than $2,000.
Find out what's happening in Palo Altowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Community members are encouraged to visit a new section of the PAPD website that describes common scams and how to avoid them.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
