Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports the old “Grandchild in trouble” scam is making its way around the area….again. Brothers say he was recently made aware of an elderly Clarinda couple who was called by someone who said that the couple’s grandson had been involved in a serious accident and that $2,400.00 needed to be wired immediately to the grandson.

The grandson had not been in an accident and the money was ultimately sent to the country of Chile.` The scam sometimes involves a person who claims to be, or is representing, a grandchild who is supposedly in jail, and needs to be bonded out. The “grandchild” in most of those cases, is in another country, like Canada, or Mexico.

The bottom line grandparents need to be aware of, is to VERIFY information with another family member. Or, in the case of a supposedly arrested grandchild, call the law enforcement agency or your local law enforcement agency, to have them verify the claim. NEVER give personal banking or credit card information to someone claiming to be or representing a relative, especially if you are not certain the circumstances are real.