In the movie “The Dark Knight,” the Joker, played by the incomparable Heath Ledger, has a dialogue with the Gotham National Bank Manager right after robbing the place in one of the first scenes of the movie. In it, the manager, played by William Fichtner, recites one of the film’s most memorable quotes: “The criminals in this town used to believe in things. Honor. Respect. Look at you! What do you believe in?”

On Saturday, an article was published in the Washington Daily News highlighting a new scam that preys on those with grandchildren, in most cases the elderly. Men imitating police officers call and scare the relative into thinking that their grandson has been arrested on drug charges or has been charged in a car accident.

The phone is handed off to a person pretending to be the grandson, who tells the grandparent to wire thousands of dollars via Western Union or a prepaid card.

Once the funds have been transferred, there’s very little anyone can do to get the money back.

This has been a scam going on for quite some time now and has been catalyzed by new technology, which has made the accessibility of funds even easier than it was, say, a decade ago. And it targets those who are the most unfamiliar with and unaccustomed to the new technology — senior citizens.

The bank manager’s quote, a question directed at the Joker and the immoral criminals in fictitious Gotham City, is a question that is never more relevant, especially with the scam artists targeting those who are most vulnerable.

What do these criminals believe in? And while no crime is by any means acceptable, these guys have certainly disregarded all honor and respect, focused solely on making money, no matter the cost or who it affects.

Making sure your mother, father or grandparent is aware and on the lookout for this scam should be priority No. 1. Reporting and suspicious activity or relevant information to the authorities, no matter how miniscule, can only help.