Kenilworth police say criminals are using a telephone fraud called “the grandparents scam” to dupe the village’s elderly.

Two residents were recently victimized by the scam, in which someone called their home pretending to be a friend or family member in the need of emergency situation, according to police. One resident wired $2,350 to someone claiming to be a friend in need. Another wired $8,900 to someone claiming to be a relative.

Police pointed to a page on Western Union’s website from 2010 that said scammers often target grandparents and ask them to wire money to Canada. The callers are often “impersonating either their grandchildren or a person of authority such as law enforcement or attorneys,” according to the Western Union site. “They describe an emergency situation such as bail, fines, fees, etc. that requires money to be sent immediately through a money transfer service.”

In the Kenilworth instances, the callers were “pretending to be a family member or friend who has been in a traffic accident, arrested or needing emergency medical assistance,” according to a police press release. “The caller uses fear, sympathy and a personal attachment to lure the unsuspecting victim into wiring money to help their friend or family member,” it said.

The money in these scams is usually sent internationally, “making prosecution unlikely and the recovery of any lost funds nearly impossible,” the release said.

Police advised residents receiving telephone calls of this nature to not wire funds immediately. Rather, police recommend taking a call-back number and checking on their family member’s or friend’s welfare and location.

Anyone receiving a similar telephone call is asked to also call Kenilworth police at 847-251-2141.