WARNING: Child Emergency Scams Now Targeting Minnesota Parents

It's a sad fact that we can't escape scams. Whether it's a new scam or a modernized version of a past scam, there are always evil people out there trying to take advantage of others.

Now that back-to-school season is here, college students have left home and are back on campus, while their parents remain at home. As exciting of a time that is for students, it can be very hard and stressful for parents.

Sadly, scammers are trying to take advantage of Minnesota parent's fears and emotions and technology has made it even more challenging to tell if it's a scam or not. That's why parents, grandparents, and other loved ones need to be able to spot this scam before losing money.

'Emergency Scams' More Common Once Students Are Back At School

According to the Better Business Bureau, 'Emergency Scams' involve a family member or friend who is allegedly in a dire situation.

The way it plays out is you get a call, email, or social media message from someone claiming to be a distressed family member. They'll make claims like they’ve been arrested, or there was an accident, medical emergency, or another horrible situation.

Scammers make them believable by providing convincing details, such as family names and school details. A common version is the "Grandma, Help!" scam, where a con artist contacts a grandparent claiming to be their grandchild and asking for money. The plea is so persuasive that the grandparent wires money to the scammer, only to find out their family member was never in any jeopardy.

Advances In Technology Have Made This Scam Harder To Recognize

You may think you'd be able to recognize this as a scam, but advancements in AI have helped scammers. Recently, the FTC warned that scammers are using voice cloning techniques to imitate the voices of loved ones.

Get our free mobile app

This AI technology allows them to copy the voices of people from videos found on social media or other sources. They can then use tools to imitate the voice of your loved one and have it appear to say whatever they wish in a call. As technology continues to improve, it will be nearly impossible to tell if you're talking to a loved one or artificial intelligence.

What To Do If You Feel You're The Target Of An 'Emergency Scam'

The Better Business Bureau offers the following tips to help spot this scam:

• Resist the urge to act immediately, no matter how dramatic the story is. Check out the story with other family and friends, but hang up or close the message and call your loved one directly. Don’t call the phone number provided by the caller or caller ID. Ask questions that would be hard for an impostor to answer correctly.
• Know what your family members are sharing online. You may not have control over your family's social media accounts but familiarize yourself with what they share online.
• Don't wire any money if there is any doubt about the call. If a person wires money and later realizes it is a fraud, the police must be alerted.

SEE NOW: Minnesota Home Featuring Spectacular ‘Megadeck’ Has Now Been Sold

Hopefully by following their advice, and talking about this scam with the most vulnerable members of your family, we can prevent con artists from taking advantage of those we hold dear.