Grandparents, Be Alert: Michigan Phone Scams on the Rise

Michigan residents should be aware of a spike in phone call scams in which grandparents are being targeted to give cash supposedly to help grandchildren who are in trouble, Attorney General Bill Schuette warned Friday.

According to the warning, there has been a spike in the number of phone call scams targeting grandparents in the last two weeks. The money lost has ranged from $1,000 to $5,000 in the most recent cases. 

The warning comes in the heels of an elderly Utica woman who was nearly scammed out of $3,000.

Utica Police Detective Sgt. Dave Faber said the victim received a call on March 10 from a man claiming to be her grandson. The man, who used the name of the woman’s grandson, said he had been in a terrible accident and needed her to wire him $3,000 via Western Union.

When the victim questioned the man further, he said he was at the Sterling Heights Police Department waiting for her. When the victim arrived, she realized the whole story had been false, and she was a part of scam.  

Faber said he was unsure of how the scammer got the name of the victim’s grandson.

 In St. Clair Shores, an 86-year-old who was bilked of $15,800 between March 24 and March 30. The scam was stopped during her most recent attempt to transfer $72,000 to a Philippines bank account. 

In many instances, the caller is telling the victim that a grandchild is far away, often out of the country, and needs cash. The caller also tells the grandparent that the grandchild wants the request for the cash kept a secret, according to the warning. 

Schuette warned residents to never give out personal financial information to callers, no matter whom that person claims to be.

Anyone who has been contacted is urged to file a complaint with the attorney general's office. The complaint should be filed under "grandparent scam." Concerned residents can contact the attorney general's Consumer Protection Division toll-free by calling 877-765-8388.

At least two Grosse Pointe Woods residents have reported such situations. Both cases were months ago, and in at least one of the cases the resident identified it as being suspicious and did not give any cash. , which she recognized was not. He told her he needed $2,000 because he was in England and had gotten a fine for poaching animals. She tried to get as much information from the caller before hanging up and then called police.