Police continue to warn about fraudulent calls

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The Berkshire DA’s office issued a warning this week about the latest scheme going around.

This latest scheme targets grandparents, these people are calling seniors and claiming they are their grandchild and saying they are in trouble and need financial help and it’s apparently a pretty sophisticated operation.

According to police, these scammers might even be using artificial intelligence to impersonate people. The best way to protect yourself is to hang up and contact your loved one directly even if the person on the phone says not to do so.

They are typically getting the information from social media so be careful about what personal information you or your grandparents post and make sure your accounts are private so that only friends can see your pages.

This fall the Berkshire County DA’s office will host two information sessions in North Adams to help people learn how to prevent getting duped by these con artists. The educational effort follows a string of this kind of extortion schemes in western Massachusetts. Law enforcement agencies identified seven this year alone.

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