Reporter: James Gherardi l Videographer: R.J. Burnette

Danville, VA – The “Granny Scam,” involves overseas con-artists targeting the elderly as they attempt to have them send thousands of dollars to distressed family members traveling abroad.

In Pittsylvania County it’s led the sheriff’s office to issue a recorded phone message warning residents to be weary of anonymous calls.

They just need you to answer the phone.

“It was terrifying. I mean, I literally thought that my son was in prison in Canada,” said LuAnne Long, whose 80-year-old-mother was a victim of the scam.

One day she received a call from a man who claimed to be her grandson.

“That he was alone and very afraid and that there had been an accident and that he needed for her to send $3,000 to get him out of this jail in Toronto,” she said.

The man said an attorney would be calling with information on where to send the money. When he called again, Long’s mother told him to call her daughter, and the scam stopped there.

“Between the first phone call and the second phone call was about three hours, so it gave us three hours to totally panic,” she said.

Turns out Long’s son was safe in his Richmond apartment. And while no money here was lost, unfortunate situations are playing out nationwide.

“Typically these transactions are going overseas and there’s very little recourse unfortunately to get the money back,” said Corporal Richard Chivvis, an investigator with the Danville Police Department. Police say beware of wiring money because once it’s received, it’s near impossible to get back.

So how are they getting all this information about you in the first place?

“Spyware, phishing scams, getting it off the computer,” said Chivvis. They’re hacking into personal information including countless credit card records every year, giving priceless information to con artists looking to cash in on a pricey scam.

“Make sure that it is indeed their grandchildren on the other end of the phone before they give out any information whatsoever,” said Long.

Police say the elderly are often at the receiving end of these scams. They say really beware because investigations rarely occur unless over $100,000 is lost.

Article source: http://www.wset.com/story/16643826/granny-scam-targets-elderly

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