“Family Emergency” Scam

The Brighton Police have recently received reports about the “Family Emergency” scam from Brighton citizens. This scam has been around for awhile, but is still popular because the scam relies on emotion and exploits a grandparent’s willingness to help a grandchild when they are in need. The scam can be over the phone or in the form of an email.

The scam works because the person calling pretends to be a panicked grandchild in need of help. The scammer will say they have been in a car accident, arrested or stranded in a foreign country and they are afraid to tell their parents. The grandparent is asked to wire money to them.

By the time the grandparent finds out it was a scam, the scammer is long gone. Wiring money is like sending cash and it cannot be recovered.
What should you do if you receive an emergency call from a family member requesting money?

Do not provide the caller with any information Do not wire the money. Do not keep the call a secret – this is an attempt to keep the scam from failing.
Do ask questions that a stranger couldn’t possibly answer. Do call your family member back at a phone number you know to be genuine. Do contact your local police department and file a report with the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov or call them at 1-877-FTC-HELP.