Fluvanna Man Hit with 'Grandparent Scam'

After an urgent phone call from his grandson last week, Adrian Miller did what most grandfathers would do: he helped, but he wishes he wouldn't have.

[TL in Cville]

This same scam happened to a close friend of mine (93 years old). There is currently no way to get your money back if you fall for it. However, most offices where the money orders can be purchased have posters about this scam and SUPPOSEDLY their employees have been trained to ask questions when our seniors request the money order and want it to go to Canada. Seniors -- please don't offer the name of the caller, make them tell you their name! They don't know the name until they are told! This is costing our seniors alot of money and I hope workers at agencies that assist our seniors, those in the medical field, younger family members, etc. help to spread the word!!

[amazed1]

This is so sad!!! Our elders have been around and helped this country through so much. And now they are being scammed!! And all because they are good people. My elderly neighbor was scammed, but some man that stopped by her house said that he was going to do this and that to her driveway. She did pay him, but was able to stop the check from being cashed.

[Adrian Miller]

Actually ,the sum sent was $3222.00 by moneygram

[Adrian Miller]

I have avoided these type of scams in the past,but the pieces of this puzzle fell in place. I only had 3 hours to make a decision.The trip to wire the money was 50 miles so I had little time to consider this to be a scam. The bank employees did not caution me on sending this large sum of money out of the country, nor did the employees at Walmart where the moneygram was purchased. I had to show more idenification and personal information than the person claiming the money. They only needed a reference number. Whats wrong with that? Make sure you know who you are talking to by asking questions only you and the other person would know. Never wire money out of this country. My age was not a factor[71]in this issue, only my emotions.Any calls of this nature should require commonsense in dealing with it.Be careful not to respond with money and call the authorities to report it.Perhaps you can save someone else from falling for this scam.

[Moonglow]

Something is still fishy about this story. Could Brandon have been in on the scam? How likely is it that the caller just happens to "sound" like the grandson. If a relative of mine (grandson, nephew whoever)called with a story like this, I believe I would have presence of mind to ask a few "trick" questions which would instantely weed out an imposter. There is more to this than is being reported.