Tip: Grandparents, beware of Canadian phone scam

Scammers from the Great White North are looking to extract some green from U.S. grandparents' wallets.

AARP Bulletin says the scam works this way: Grandparents get a call from a person pretending to be their grandchild. The scammer claims to be in trouble in Canada and desperately needs money. AARP says those whose spouse recently died are likely victims because death notices often list the names of surviving grandchildren.

AARP reported that U.S. grandparents were scammed out of at least $4.5 million last year. The actual amount is probably much higher. AARP says many of those scammed don't report the crime "because they're embarrassed that they didn't recognize a grandchild's voice."