Conspiracy Theory wrote:

Seriously?

Someone fell for someone telling them they had to wire money to get their grandchild out of trouble?

Wouldn't it be a good idea to call the parent to find out what the trouble is?

Unfortunately, this scams work mostly on the elderly, who may not have all their mental faculties they once possessed. 
 

BYOB wrote:

Isn't one of Dante's circles in hell reserved for scammers that target the elderly? If not, there should be. I've helped out a few elderly people who got wrapped up in bad stuff, and it makes me very angry.

I see this sometimes at work.

I just get so worked up but there isn't a damn thing I can do about it.

I'd be breaking the law by reporting it.

What do you do when there's nothing you can do?
 

BYOB wrote:

Why would you be breaking the law by reporting it?

Everything in a client's record is either covered under HIPPA or the State's laws and regulations.

One of my coworkers was suspended for three days without pay for looking up someone's address.

I'd probably lose my job if I reported any personal or financial information.

No good deed will go unpunished.
 

Brady Bunch wrote:

Unfortunately, this scams work mostly on the elderly, who may not have all their mental faculties they once possessed.

And who also grew up in a time when phone and internet scams didn't really exist, and a person's word was more frequently taken at face value.

Friend of mine used to work at a convenience store and he could spot this stuff a mile away - seniors would come in and purchase high-value prepaid debit cards/money cards (a common tactic by the scammers, who then have the unwitting purchaser provide them with the card's number and info so they can access the money). He'd often make small talk with them, ask them what they were buying it for, and if it sounded like they were wrapped up in a scam he'd advise them to check into who they were sending the money to, or to talk to the police first. Beyond that there was only so much that could be done, sadly.