Grandparents, Beware This Despicable Scam
To make a scam work, con artists generally know they have to play on one of two emotions: fear or greed. Once the scammers trigger either of these two emotions in their target, they know they have a good chance of making victims waive their better judgement and fall for the scheme.
One of the more popular cons currently in vogue is targeted at the elderly and tries to appeal to their love of family to trick them into wiring money to a far-off location. This scheme, commonly called the "grandparent scam," is devastatingly effective because it packs such an emotional punch for the victim.
The grandparent scam is one variety of the "impostor scams" that are prevalent today. These schemes range from fraudulent online romances to fake kidnappings, and while the details may vary, they always share common characteristics. The grandparent scam is cut from the same cloth, and if you know the red flags, chances are you won't fall for it.
Source: Fool.com
