Residents urged to be on the watch for ‘family emergency’ scammers

    The Brighton Police Department wants to warn residents about a “family emergency” scam that targets grandparents.
    Although the scam has been around for a while, it relies on emotion and exploits a grandparent’s willingness to help a grandchild when they are in need. The scam can occur through a phone call or come in the form of an email, according to a news release from the police department.
    The scam works because the person calling pretends to be a panicked grandchild in need of help. The scammer will say they have been in a car accident, arrested or stranded in a foreign country and are afraid to tell their parents. The grandparent is asked to wire money to them.
    According to the news release, “wiring money is like sending cash and it cannot be recovered” and by the time the grandparent finds out it was a scam, the scammer is long gong.
    Police advise anyone who has encountered this scam to contact the the, and file a report with the federal trade Commission at ftc.gov or call them at 1-877-FTC-HELP.