The state attorney general’s office is warning Vermont consumers to beware of a telephone scheme they’re calling the "grandparent" scam.
Assistant Attorney General Elliot Burg says the fraud has been attempted twice this week – the second time resulting in a $5,000 loss to one person.
In the scam, someone using an untraceable cell phone calls an elderly person and poses as their grandson, claiming to be in trouble and in need of money in Canada. Once the money is sent via wire transfer, they use forged IDs to cash the transfer.
Burg says that if you get such a call, verify the person’s story with another family member.