Crime & Safety

Scam: 'Stranded Grandson' Targets Local Families

After recent reports of a Fox Point family falling victim to the grandparent scam, police are sounding the alarm again after a Mequon family was victimized with the same scam.

Grandparent scams aren't new in the North Shore and police are reminding residents that with warm holiday wishes come sneaky Christmas scams. 

Mequon police reported that at least seven residents reported receiving similar calls this week, and two unsuspecting victims forwarded more than $10,000 to the scammers via Western Union, according to a press release from Port Washington police. 

The "emergency" scam is designed to fool grandparents into believing that their grandchild is hurt, arrested or stranded, and in need of money, the release said. Retirees and grandparents are an attractive target for financial scammers. These emergency scams play off of people’s emotions and strong desire to help others in need, especially this time of year. 

Find out what's happening in Fox Point-Baysidewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

This has happened multiple times in Fox Point and Bayside, allowing thieves to make off with more than $20,000 in one case. 

  • An . And it could have been even more had a banker at theFox Point branch of M&I Bank not alerted her that she was likely a victim of “the grandson scam”
  • A Fox Point couple was after their "granddaughter" called crying that she was arrested in Canada. 
  • A 98-year-old Fox Point man was the victim of the "old neighbor" scam after a man rang the side doorbell of the victim's home and said he was an "old neighbor" from down the street. Although the victim did not remember the man, he invited him in his home. The thief made off with a handful of cash. 

Just to the north, an unsuspecting Port Washington grandparent was contacted by a scammer posing as her grandson, reporting that he had been stranded in Mexico and asking for money to help cover travel expenses, according to the press release. The grandparent nearly became another victim of this scam. Fortunately however, the local retailer the grandparent chose to wire the funds through, recognized this as a scam and refused to complete the wire transfer. The grandparent, then realizing she had nearly become a victim of the scam, contacted police and reported the incident. 

Find out what's happening in Fox Point-Baysidewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Generally, the scam works like this — the grandparent receives a "distress" phone call from a person whom they believe is their grandchild. The supposed grandchild typically explains that they are traveling in Canada, Mexico, or some other locale and have been arrested, involved in an auto accident or stranded and need the grandparent to wire money to post bail, pay for damages or travel expenses—usually amounting to a few thousand dollars, the release said. While many seniors have reported the scam without falling prey to it, unfortunately, many others have been victimized. 

Get more from Fox Point-Bayside Patch by “Liking” our Facebook Page!

Law enforcement officials are not certain how perpetrators are obtaining phone numbers for so many senior citizens across the U.S. The scammers’ basic tactic is to pose as a grandchild and let the unsuspecting grandparent fill in the blanks. For example, the scam caller might say, “It’s me, your favorite grandchild,” to which the grandparent will guess the name of the grandchild it sounds the most like, and then the call proceeds from there, according to the release.

Port Washington police recommend the following to protect yourself from this scam, and avoid being victimized in the first place is:

  • Resist the pressure to act quickly.
  • Try to contact your grandchild or another family member to determine whether or not the call is legitimate.
  • Never wire money based on a request made over the phone or in an e-mail ... especially overseas.  Wiring money is like giving cash – once you send it, you can’t get it back.

Residents who may receive scam phone calls or emails are urged to report them to the Fox Point or Bayside Police Department, 414-351-8811.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.