CRANSTON — The Cranston Police Department issued a scam alert to local residents about a rise in grandparent scams aimed at exploiting residents’ care for their relatives.
Authorities report that scammers are contacting individuals, posing either as a relative in distress or a law enforcement officer dealing with an emergency, and are persuading them to withdraw large sums of money from their banks.
These fraudsters are also directing victims to purchase gift cards and provide the card details over the phone.
The police are urging the community to remain vigilant and not to comply with any such requests.
They are encouraging anyone who has been targeted or knows someone who has been approached in this manner to contact the Cranston Police Department Detective Division at 401-942-2211 to report the incident.
The department emphasizes the importance of sharing this information to help protect others in the community from falling victim to these deceptive tactics.