Beware Scammers

[inquisitive]

Two Oscar-quality actors, one " my grandson" (and vey emotional), the other "his lawyer"(very lawyerly), spun a very convincing tale over the phone about grandson's involvement in a two-car collision," blowing" just over the limit, minor hospital treatment, court appearance, in holding cell, vehicle repairs, no access to bank funds, please send me some money asap, confidentiality requested.
Fortunately the alarm bells were heard, the vow of confidentiality was broken, and grandson's whereabouts were promptly verified - at work as usual.
Despite general knowledge of these kinds of scams we still hear of those trusting souls who have been traumatised by the skill of the narrators' describing the desperate situation of their grandson. These crooks will risk triggering a heart-attack on their chosen victim - totally ruthless and without conscience.
The stated reason in the "script" for confidentiality is very skillfully presented, thus, for those who don't have a "sounding board" in the household are cruelly induced into keeping quiet and then following the payment instructions to the letter.
Knowing at first hand how convincing these actors play their parts shows how a vulnerable person can be mesmerised into blindness over the inevitable warning signs and incongruities contained in the script. Too bad, and sometimes a very costly lesson for a very caring person.
We know that the police are flooded with calls from would-be victims and real victims. Countermeasures are very limited and most often, I assume, inconclusive for both police and victims. I throw up my hands in despair over the prevalence of such crimes that target the kindness inherent in the majority of mankind.

[Donald G]

Believe NOTHING you are told by anyone on the telephone about the need for money until you confirm it by a completely independent means. That especially includes close or distant family members who have been involved with chemical dependencies or profess to be phoning from jail.

[waterwings]

These idiots called me and I knew the grandson that was named was here at home because he had just left my home not 20 minutes before the call. I was pretty upset that the poor kid was in such a jam so I gave the caller the RCMP non emergency number so they could call his uncle to get the money they needed to get the kid out of the holding cell. Haven't heard back from them.