Grandma and grandpa scams on the rise

More than a dozen reports from the public about a phone scam prompted the Washoe County Sheriff's Office to issue an alert.

The callers claim to be a person's grandchild and they are in need of financial assistance because they're in jail, or have been involved in an accident. It is not unusual for scammers to use personal information about a potential victim’s family members in order to sound credible. This type of information is often easily obtained via the Internet or social media.

The phone number identification accompanying most of these calls is (775) 328-3001 which happens to be the front desk number for the Sheriff’s Office.

Unless you are 100 percent sure of whom you are talking with over the phone, never give out personal information and never send money. Gather what information you can and then hang up. If you feel a call may possibly by legitimate, take the time to double-check the story with another family member before proceeding.

Being aware of these scams is the best form of prevention. Please share this information with other people you know, particularly older people in your life.

Anyone who has suffered a loss as a result of this scam is encouraged to contact the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office at (775) 328-3001 (option 7), file a report online at WashoeSheriff.com, or their local law enforcement agency.