Grandparent Scam Alert

Carson City, NV - The following consumer advisory is offered by the Nevada Attorney Generals Bureau of Consumer Protection as part of an ongoing effort to educate consumers. The Attorney Generals Bureau of Consumer Protection has received information that Nevada residents are being contacted by phone and told their grandchildren have been arrested in Canada and money must be wired in order to clear them. The first call will be an individual who claims to be a relative or someone claiming to be from the police. A second call will be from someone posing as an attorney. They recipient of the call is asked to wire money to Canada or some other foreign country. Consumers are cautioned to not fall for these scams, said Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto. A few telephone calls to the individuals supposedly in trouble can save a lot of worry and will prevent you from being a victim. This is similar to a scam making the rounds last year where the grandchild was supposedly arrested in England or had their wallet stolen in Ireland and needed money wired to them. The constant thread in this scam is the request for the victim to wire money to another country. Never wire money to a foreign country because if it is a scam, there is no way to retrieve the cash. If you feel compelled to send money by wire transfer, first consider whether losing that money would be acceptable and second, make a call to the grandchild, their parents, or the supposed individual in trouble at their local number. Those who make these calls usually find the grandchild or the needy friend is safe at home in the United States.