It’s always nice to receive a call from the grandkids, as long as it’s your actual grandkids.

 Beware of scammers who try to trick you by posing as your grandchildren in desperate situations, like the hospital or jail. They’ll ask you to send them money and may even have a second scammer pose as a police officer or doctor to verify their story.

 How can you determine if this is fraud? They may ask for payment in gift cards or prepaid cards, because these types of payments are hard to track. They also sometimes contact you at night, hoping you are tired and not thinking clearly.

 Here are some tips to avoid becoming a victim of grandparent scams:

 ●     Hang up the phone and call the grandchild who is supposedly in trouble, or another family member to check the caller’s story.

 ●     Call police stations or hospitals to check if callers are actually police officers or doctors.

 ●     Don’t give the caller any information. Scammers make conversation to get personal information from you. Make the caller tell you the grandchild’s name and personal details.

 ●     Don’t panic! Criminals want you to panic so you don’t think about their lies.

 If you’re a victim of this scam, report it to the FTC.

Learn more about grandparent scams here.