Minnesotans Lose Thousands With New Grandparent Scam

Scams are always wrong but targeting grandparents is terrible on a whole other level! Sadly, that's the case in Minnesota right now.

There is always some sort of scam going on and it doesn't look like that's going to stop anytime soon, since scammers are getting pretty creative.

This scam, reported across the state, is targeting the elderly. While officials say this isn't a new scam, scammers have shifted their methods a bit, making it even more convincing.

Now, those officials have issued an urgent warning to Minnesotans about it so nobody else becomes a victim.

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This scam has been reported by the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office, who issued a major warning on their Facebook page earlier this month.

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According to their post, they have received a 'significant' increase in reports of this scam, meaning it is really picking up. It is being called the grandparent scam, as grandparents are the target of this one.

Sadly, there have already been 'several' people who have fallen for this scam so make sure you share this with your friends and family. Collectively, tens of thousands have been given to the scammers.

How It Works

Scammers are reaching out to people in Beltrami County with grandkids, telling them that their family was in a crash or in jail, making the situation seem urgent and not giving them much time to think about what's happening.

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From there, the scammer says that they need to give money to a bail bondsman immediately in order to free their grandchild or pay for their hospital bill.

Scammers are likely getting this information from social media or public record but it makes the ruse all the more convincing because they have real details about the family.