Burrillville police warn residents of ‘Grandparent Scam’

BURRILLVILLE, R.I. (WLNE) – The Burrillville Police Department warned locals of a scam that impacted two elderly residents on Wednesday.

Police said the recent report involved a telephone scam commonly referred to as the “Grandparent Scam,” targeting older residents.

The scam involves a caller portraying themselves as either an attorney or a police officer, according to officials.

The caller will advise the target that a grandchild has been arrested or is in a motor vehicle accident and needs a significant amount of money. 

The scammer will then advise the family member to go to their bank to withdraw the money, telling the victim not to disclose to the bank teller what the money is to be used for, per authorities.

The callers can go as far as to put a younger person on the phone, resembling the victim’s grandchild as proof of the arrest, police said.

Officials said if you receive a call like this, do not withdraw funds from your bank, and make contact with the referenced grandchild for verification.

Police said the two individuals targeted in Burrillville contacted police right away and no money was lost.

The department added that an officer who spoke with the scammer said the caller laughed and said they are making “too much money off of this and will not stop.”

Authorities said there are several communities around Rhode Island experiencing these calls and they are expected to continue throughout the week.