Sally Herigstad is a certified public accountant and the author of "Help! I Can't Pay My Bills: Surviving a Financial Crisis" (St. Martin's Press, 2006).
Dear To Her Credit,
I just got a call from my granddaughter. She says she's in Montreal and she's been
in a car accident. Her credit card doesn't work in Canada. She asked me if I could
send her $4,000 by Western Union so she can
get her car fixed and get home. She promised to pay it back as soon as she can.
I asked her where her husband is, and she said he didn't
come with her. She doesn't want to tell him she's been in an accident. When I
asked if her parents knew about this, she said she doesn't want to tell them
yet, either.
I said I don't have $4,000, but I would send her $1,000. She
said that would be OK.
When I went to Wal-Mart to send the money, the clerk there got
suspicious when she found out I was wiring money to Montreal. She says Montreal has a reputation
for fraud, and she asked if I was absolutely sure it was my granddaughter who 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 says her
credit card doesn't work 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
is really hoping you are naïve to think she can get away with that story.
Your next clue might be the character of your real
granddaughters. Is it like them to travel in another 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
scams lately, including one called the Grandson Scam. It sounds exactly like the scenario you described. Hundreds of seniors have
fallen for this scam that operated out of money transfer stores, and between
them they lost over $3.5 million!
The authorities shut down one scam, but you can be sure
another one is coming. The next fraudsters may try the same tack, or they'll
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 on the phone. 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 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 them. Many
voices sound similar on the phone. They may even use the right name and
know a few other details -- it's amazing what you can find on the
Internet! Ask a few questions only your friend or relative would know,
such as the name of a pet or what kind of car you drive.
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 back, unless you
want to give them a piece of your mind. They've probably called a hundred other
numbers by now, hoping for an easier score.
If your real grandchildren do call you sometime with a
genuine emergency, they won't feel bad if you ask a few identifying questions
or request time to think about it before you send money. It's too bad we have
to be suspicious nowadays. But by protecting yourselves from fraud, we'll
have our money around when we do need it for ourselves and our families.
Sally Herigstad writes about women and credit every week for CreditCards.com. Herigstad is a writer and finance consultant for MSN Money, a personal finance software product. She is also a member of the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Her Web site is http://helpicantpaymybills.net. Sally Herigstad lives in Kent, Wash., with her husband Gary. They have two grown children, Valia and Grant.
To Her Credit answers a question about a debt or credit issue from a CreditCards.com reader each week.
Send your question to Sally.
Published: October 2, 2009
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