Ghoulish phone scams (and they're not robocalls)

October 23, 10:48 PMScam ExaminerKarin Malchow

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The Better Business Bureau reports a resurgence of phone scams with a macabre twist.  The caller relates a family member had a terrible accident requiring your assistance.

Sometimes the person claims to be law enforcement dispatch, telling you to call another number for information on your loved one. Except dialing the call-forwarding access code and phone number allows the person answering to hijack your phone line.  This technique is very handy for jailed inmates making collect long distance calls ultimately showing up on your bill.

Variations on this scam have existed for years, but the version using an outside confederate avoids both Caller ID identifying the jail and the standard recording announcing it as originating from prison.

Another phone scam targets seniors.  Someone impersonating a grandchild, feigning urgency and distress, claims to need money wired to Canada after an accident or arrest.  Presumably the con artist dials multiple random numbers until hitting a prospect, the same way e-mail spammers blanket inboxes for a few hits. While calmer heads recognize the scam by asking for specifics, a distraught, confused grandparent may make assumptions about who it is without ever being given a name.

The key to avoiding fear-based scams is to take a breath and think before you act.  If you neglected asking for information during a panicked conversation, call local police (from a number you looked up, not the one given you) or a family member for confirmation.

Grandkids can also help out their grandparents by assuring them they wouldn't scare them like that, too.