A 74-year-old woman just lost $13,000 in a 'grandparent scam'

You need to warn your loved ones about this scam targeting seniors

A 74-year-old woman just lost $13,000 in a 'grandparent scam'

You need to warn your loved ones about this scam targeting seniors

It's hard to imagine there are people out there who would take advantage of a grandparent's love and generosity to steal money — but that's exactly what happened to Irma Orozco of Phoenix, Arizona. When Orozco got a call from someone claiming to be her adult grandson, Jack, she was excited, reported Arizona's 3 On Your Side. She knows her family is busy and normally doesn't want to bother them by calling. "I got the phone and the person said, 'Hello.' And I said, 'Hello, hello?" And he said, 'This is Jack.' And I said, 'Hi Jack,'" Orozco said.The person pretending to be Jack said he had been in a terrible accident and needed help. A second man then said he was Jack's attorney and that they needed bond money — $7,000 to start. Orozco, wanting to help her grandson, deposited the money into the scammer's Bank of America account. Plus another $6,500 when they said they needed more. When she finally got through to her real grandson, Jack, and asked about the money, he had no idea what she was talking about.Orozco had fallen victim to the "Grandparent Scam," or the "Hey, Grandma" scam. We first learned of this sneaky scheme back in May, when a conman revealed that criminals were preying on what he called "gullible" seniors and appealing to their emotions. Sadly, it appears the crime has continued.If you ever receive a similar call from a relative asking for cash, calmly say you'll have to check with another family member and hang up, says AARP. Then, consult family members to see if it's real (it's most likely not). The TV news source says the sentence "Don't tell Mom and Dad" is another red flag — don't fall for it."Just be careful," Orozco warned others in her 3 On Your Side interview. "They trick you so bad. They traumatize you. They traumatize you so bad that you lose your sense. I lose my sense."

It's hard to imagine there are people out there who would take advantage of a grandparent's love and generosity to steal money — but that's exactly what happened to Irma Orozco of Phoenix, Arizona.

When Orozco got a call from someone claiming to be her adult grandson, Jack, she was excited, reported Arizona's . She knows her family is busy and normally doesn't want to bother them by calling.

"I got the phone and the person said, 'Hello.' And I said, 'Hello, hello?" And he said, 'This is Jack.' And I said, 'Hi Jack,'" Orozco said.

The person pretending to be Jack said he had been in a terrible accident and needed help. A second man then said he was Jack's attorney and that they needed bond money — $7,000 to start. Orozco, wanting to help her grandson, deposited the money into the scammer's Bank of America account. Plus another $6,500 when they said they needed more. When she finally got through to her real grandson, Jack, and asked about the money, he had no idea what she was talking about.

Orozco had fallen victim to the "Grandparent Scam," or the "Hey, Grandma" scam. We first learned of this sneaky scheme , when a conman revealed that criminals were preying on what he called "gullible" seniors and appealing to their emotions. Sadly, it appears the crime has continued.

If you ever receive a similar call from a relative asking for cash, calmly say you'll have to check with another family member and hang up, says . Then, consult family members to see if it's real (it's most likely not). The TV news source says the sentence "Don't tell Mom and Dad" is another red flag — don't fall for it.

"Just be careful," Orozco warned others in her interview. "They trick you so bad. They traumatize you. They traumatize you so bad that you lose your sense. I lose my sense."

[h/t 3 ]

��vlog