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N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The Attorney General’s office reports that in the past month, several elderly North Dakota residents have fallen victim to the grandparent scam.

This scam has cost the residents thousands of dollars to scam artists who pretend to be a grandchild in a dire situation and in need of money.

“The grandparent scam is one of the common “impostor” scams that have been circulating in the state for several years,” stated Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem.

Stenehjem has issued numerous warnings about these scams. Unfortunately, the consumer protection division of his office receives reports of new victims every week.

“The only way to beat the scammers is to make sure our elderly relatives know what to do before they get a call,” said Stenehjem. “These scam artists are ruthless professionals who will do whatever they can to convince their victims to part with their life savings,” he continued.

Parrell Grossman, director of the Consumer Protection division, said scam artists are known to target elderly individuals. “Don’t assume that elderly family members will recognize a scam call or know what to do when they get one. Get the conversation started by asking your family members if they have heard about the grandparent scam,” he said.

Grossman said to remind family members of the following:

• ·       If the caller asks them not to tell mom or dad (or anyone), it is a giveaway that the call is a scam.

• ·       Confirm the whereabouts of your grandchild with another family member, before sending any money.

• ·       Scam artists like to have victims use alternative forms of payment, such as gift cards, iTunes cards, Walmart-to-Walmart transactions or wire transfers, because they can access the funds instantly and they cannot be tracked.

For more information, call 701-328-3404 or visit www.attorneygeneral.nd.gov.