Warwick police warn public to be wary of ‘grandparent scam’

WARWICK, R.I. (WLNE) — Warwick police warned Rhode Islanders to be wary of a “grandparent scam” that targets elderly people over the phone.

Police said two elderly people were scammed out of large amounts of money.

One scammer pretended to be a member of the West Warwick Police Department and demanded cash, falsely saying their family members were involved in car accidents.

The second pretended to be a lawyer.

The department said similar scam calls have been reported to police in Smithfield, Newport, Jamestown, and Pawtucket.

Police advised the public to educate their loved ones, especially those who do not use social media.

Any “grandparent scam” call should also be reported to police.