Aurora police share tips to avoid grandparent scams

Two Aurora grandmas were recently scammed out of over $12,000, and now the Aurora Police Department is spreading the word so others don't fall for the same trick.

Aurora Police said on their Facebook page Tuesday evening that both women received calls on March 16 from people claiming to be their grandsons. The callers said they'd been arrested and needed money for legal fees. Both men told the grandmas, who are 78 and 82, to call a man who claimed to be their lawyer. When the grandmas called the "lawyer" they were told to wire him money, which they both did.

Aurora police said if grandparents find themselves in this situation, they should take a deep breath and try to get ahold of someone who can confirm the status of their grandchild before sending any money. Also they could try to verify the caller is their grandchild by asking them questions only they would know.

If you've been a victim of this or a similar scam, contact your local police department and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint or call 1-877-FTC-HELP.