We all like helping a family member in need and scammers know this. If someone calls you and says they’re your long lost third cousin from your Great-Uncle Jack’s side and they need money to get out of a jam, yeah, they’re lying.
Sneaksters will read obituaries to get names of grandchildren to try and bamboozle senior citizens, according to a March report in the AARP Bulletin. Now that is just cold-hearted.
Basically, you should keep count of your grandchildren, don’t wire money to strangers, be wary of anyone taking your money, don’t give out SSN or credit card info to someone calling you out of the blue, and stay away from email heiresses.