On Tue, Mar 23, 2010 at 10:51 AM, Scott K <[email protected]> wrote:

> Generally you should always contact people by phone for any such "Help
> Me!" online contact scam. Or at least contact their family to make
> sure they're actually out of town or in prison.
>
>  My parent's neighbors got a call that claimed to be one of their
> grandchildren in prison. I don't know why the call wasn't to their
> parents of course, but the money was almost sent. It wouldn't hurt to
> warn your grandparents to trust no one online and verify with other
> parties.
>
>
The scammer is betting on the fact that the grandparents are close enough to
know the person being referenced, but far enough away to not know everything
that is happening in their lives or even accurately discern their voice on
the phone. It is social engineering that hits people in the emotional realm.
Really nasty people!


Robert LeBlanc
Life Sciences & Undergraduate Education Computer Support
Brigham Young University
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