I asked her where her husband was, and she said he didn't go with her. She didn't want to tell him she'd been in an accident. When I asked if her parents knew about it, she said she didn't want to tell them yet either.
I said I didn't have $4,000 but could send her $1,000. She said that would be OK.
When I went to Wal-Mart to send the money, the clerk got suspicious when she found out I was wiring money to Montreal. She said Montreal has a reputation for fraud, and she asked if I was absolutely sure it was my granddaughter who had called. Come to think of it, I wasn't sure at first which granddaughter it was, and she didn't volunteer her name. But I was embarrassed to ask my own granddaughter who she was.
So I came home without sending the money, and now I don't know what to do. If it's my granddaughter, I can't leave her stranded in Montreal. After all, I promised the money.
If it's not her, I sure don't have that kind of money to send to crooks. What should I do? I have the phone number where she is waiting for the money. -- Martha
Dear Martha:
Here's your first clue: The person who called you said her credit card wasn't working in Canada. I've traveled to Canada and several other countries recently, and I have yet to find a country that isn't more than willing to take my credit card. This caller was really hoping you'd be naive to think she could get away with that story.
Your next clue might be the character of your real granddaughters. Is it like them to travel in a foreign country without telling their immediate families? Do they have a habit of calling you and asking for large chunks of money? Let's hope not.
Most young people now have cell phones. Have you tried calling and e-mailing your granddaughter? I'll bet you'll find her at home or at work, far from Montreal and unaware that you are worried about her. Here's why I'm so sure.
The clerk at Wal-Mart was right. Montreal has been the center of several money scamsgrandson scam. It sounds exactly like the scenario you describe. Hundreds of seniors have fallen for this scam operated out of money-transfer stores, and among them they have lost more than $3.5 million. lately, including one called the
Authorities shut down one scam, but you can be sure another one is coming. The next fraudsters might try the same tack -- or think of something new.
Here's how you can keep from getting scammed by phone:
- Don't give personal information to anyone who calls you. I had someone purportedly from my bank call the other day. After we chatted about lowering my interest rate (that got my attention!), he asked for my account number. I thought that, since he called me, he should already have it. I asked if I could finish this business at a branch. "Oh, this is a telephone-only opportunity," he told me. I said, "No, thanks, then."
- If someone claims to be a friend or relative, be very sure it is him or her. Many voices sound similar on the phone. A caller might even use the right name and know a few other details. It's amazing what can be found on the Internet. Ask a few questions only a friend or relative would know, such as the name of a pet.
- Beware of calls that play off people's sympathy or greed. According to the e-mails I receive, I win a lottery in the United Kingdom several times a week. I just have to send money for processing fees and I'll be rich. Sure. Especially since I've never entered a lottery here or anywhere across the Atlantic. Many scams play off sympathy and greed at the same time, begging you to help a rich widow move her money into the country or telling some other sad story. Forget it. Nobody legitimate pays strangers to move money around.
I don't see any good reason to call the number in Montreal, unless you want to give the caller a piece of your mind. She has probably called a hundred other numbers by now, hoping for an easier score.
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