Attorney General urges residents to talk to their loved ones about common scams

SEATTLE – It starts with a desperate phone call, e-mail or even an instant message from someone posing as a grandchild or a friend. He was arrested overseas. She was mugged. Please send money right away. Except it’s not who you think – it’s a con artist.

Washington residents are losing thousands of dollars to manipulative criminals claiming to be relatives in need of help.

“You may have already heard the warnings and believe you’ll never become a victim, but have you talked to your family members, especially the seniors in your life?” Attorney General Rob McKenna asked. “You could save your loved ones from joining the growing list of victims who have lost money because of wire transfer scams.”

Here’s how to identify two of the most proliferate scams making the rounds in Washington:

Page 1 : Attorney General urges residents to talk to their loved ones about common scams
Page 2 : GRANDPARENT SCAM
Page 3 : EMERGENCY TRAVEL aka “I’VE BEEN ROBBED!” SCAM
Page 4 : RED FLAGS
Page 5 : TIPS

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