There is a new scam these days which is referred to as the "Grandparent Scam" or "Emergency Scam". Grandparents from Connecticut to Canada are being targeted. The scheme, which preys upon grandparents' love of their grandchildren, has proven to be a lucrative venture for con artists. Usually the caller pretends to be a grandchild in need of emergency money. Of course, this is not true.

The hoax begins with a telephone call from someone posing as a grandchild who urges the grandparents to send money by wire transfer for a variety of phony reasons ranging from the "grandchild" has been arrested and needs money to post bail, has been in a car accident and needs money for medical bills or is stranded and needs money to get home.

In some cases, to lend legitimacy, the scammer will put someone else on the telephone to pose as either a doctor or police officer. The "grandchild" then requests that money be sent through wire transfer to cover expenses. One Wisconsin couple was bilked out of $19,000 by con artists posing as a grandson and his lawyer.

In many cases, when the grandparents pick up the phone, the scammer will say "Hi Grandma, guess who's calling?" Frequently the grandparent will answer that question feeling comfortable that they know who they are supposedly talking to. The grandparents themselves sometimes inadvertently provide information that helps the scammers.

The "grandchild" will often plead with the grandparent not to tell their parents about the "accident" or "arrest" which increases the odds that the fraud will be successful. If all goes according to the con artists' plan, the victim will wire money to the "grandchild". By the time the victim realizes what happened, the money is long gone and most likely not recoverable.

Grandparents are singled out because they may be hard of hearing and because they will likely not know where their grandchildren are. Connecticut Better Business Bureau urges families to discuss the way the scam works.

If you receive a call from someone claiming to be your grandchild in distress, don't disclose any information before you have confirmed it really is your grandchild. If a caller says "It's me, Grandma," don't respond with a name but instead let the caller explain who he or she is.

One easy way to confirm their identity is to ask a simple question that your grandchild would know such as what school he or she attends or their middle name. Another way to potentially stop the scam in its tracks is to contact the parents to verify the grandchild's whereabouts.

If you have fallen victim to the scam, report the incident immediately to local police and the Connecticut Attorney General's office. If there is a request to wire money to Canada, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Call Centre has established the PhoneBusters hotline and Web site to report such fraud. Reports can be filed through the PhoneBusters toll free at 1.888.495.8501.

More information on how to avoid becoming a victim of this and other scams is available at www.bbb.org.