Local couple warns others about possible senior medical card scam

PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. - When the home phone rang, it didn't take Joe Grantham long to realize the called sounded suspicious. Grantham handed the receiver to his wife, Charlyne. She also thought the call sounded strange.

The caller asked if they needed a type of new health medical card. 

"I never heard of a senior medical card. He was talking about sending me our new senior medical card,” Joe Grantham said. 

The caller next asked Charlyne Grantham for information about her bank. 

She said, “I'm not giving out the name of our bank. He said if you do that he said I’ll let you talk to a superior when we're finished. I said I am not giving out my bank and he hung up." 

The Granthams are the latest to receive calls or emails from suspected scam artists trying to get personal information. 

This week, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt warned about an increase in the number of complaints about scams into his office.

His office offered up ways to avoid being a scam:

        1) Never give out personal information

        2) Never wire money to claim prize

        3) Never deposit checks that look legit

        4) Always be skeptical.  If you do not recall entering a contest, then it is probably a scam. 

        5) Report possible scam activity to the AG’s office at 1-800-432-2310 or go to www.ag.ks.gov .

After the caller hung up, the Granthams decided to contact Call For Action to warn others about what happened to them.