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Phone Scam

Police & Fire
Scam Alert: Police Warn Of Callers Posing As Capital Region Sheriff's Office Scam Alert: Police Warn Of Callers Posing As Capital Region Sheriff's Office
Scam Alert: Police Warn Of Callers Posing As Capital Region Sheriff's Office Don’t fall for it. Authorities are warning residents of phone scammers who are posing as members of a local sheriff’s office. The Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office learned about a fraudulent phone call that was made to a resident on Tuesday, May 28, the agency announced on Facebook. During the call, the scammer instructed the resident to call the sheriff’s office at 518-714-1875, not the agency’s actual phone number, 518-885-6761. When the victim called the phony number, they were greeted by a computer-generated voice indicating they had reached the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office and off…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Scammer Posing As Priest, Soliciting Gift Cards From Victims In Region: Police Scammer Posing As Priest, Soliciting Gift Cards From Victims In Region: Police
Scammer Posing As Priest, Soliciting Gift Cards From Victims In Region: Police Authorities in the Hudson Valley are continuing to warn residents of a scammer who has been posing as a local priest to convince victims to purchase gift cards for them.  The warning was issued on Wednesday, Jan. 10 by the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, which said the scammer is continuing to "exploit the generosity of our community."  According to the Sheriff's Office, the scammer has been posing as a local priest over phone calls to solicit gift cards from victims. Those who receive such a call are warned to verify the identity of the person or organization claiming to be on th…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Scam Alert: Don't Believe Call From 'Officer Johnson,' Sheriff From Region Says Scam Alert: Don't Believe Call From 'Officer Johnson,' Sheriff From Region Says
Scam Alert: Don't Believe Call From 'Officer Johnson,' Sheriff From Region Says Another phone scam is making the rounds in the region.  This time, this caller is "Officer Johnson," claiming to be from the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office. "Officer Johnson" claims to be from the Sheriff’s Office and tells the victim that there is a warrant that has been issued for the victim’s arrest because they failed to report for jury duty, said Undersheriff Eric Chaboty, of the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office He then advises the victim that they can avoid arrest if they pay a fine over the phone. The victim is then instructed to purchase a prepaid debit card and provide the …

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by Kathy Reakes
News
New Yorkers At Risk Of Scam Calls, Attorney General Warns New Yorkers At Risk Of Scam Calls, Attorney General Warns
New Yorkers At Risk Of Scam Calls, Attorney General Warns As New Yorkers across the state report being contacted by scammers impersonating their banks, officials are cautioning consumers to keep their eyes peeled. In a statement on Friday, Oct. 27, NY Attorney General Letitia James provided tips to avoid getting scammed by callers pretending to be bank or government officials. “Scammers claiming to be a trusted bank, or any institution relied on for financial services, can seriously harm New Yorkers by taking their money and their personal information,” she said. James said the Office of the Attorney General has been receiving calls from New Y…

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by Sophie Grieser
Police & Fire
Don't Fall For It: Phone Scammers Posing As Cops Targeting Capital Region Residents Don't Fall For It: Phone Scammers Posing As Cops Targeting Capital Region Residents
Don't Fall For It: Phone Scammers Posing As Cops Targeting Capital Region Residents If you get a suspicious phone call threatening arrest, don’t worry, it’s most likely bogus. Several concerned citizens contacted the Albany Police Department on Monday, Oct. 16, reporting a man who was posing as an Albany cop, according to the agency. The caller told people that they had an outstanding warrant and they needed to make a payment in order to “take care of it.” If payment was not received, he told them, they would be arrested. Albany Police addressed the scam in a Facebook post Tuesday, Oct. 17, saying the department will never ask for financial or credit card information over…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Sex Offenders Being Targeted By Phone Scammers, Police In Capital Region Say Sex Offenders Being Targeted By Phone Scammers, Police In Capital Region Say
Sex Offenders Being Targeted By Phone Scammers, Police In Capital Region Say Authorities in the region are warning of phone scammers who are targeting a new class of victims: registered sex offenders. In a statement issued Friday, May 5, the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office said it was aware of a phone scam in which perpetrators claim to be affiliated with local law enforcement agencies. The caller then tells the victim that they are “non-compliant” for not submitting DNA, and must buy gift cards for specific dollar amounts and send them the card information as a “fine” to avoid being arrested. “The Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind everyone…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Duo's 'Grandparent Scam' Nearly Costs Capital Region Victim $19K, Police Say Duo's 'Grandparent Scam' Nearly Costs Capital Region Victim $19K, Police Say
Duo's 'Grandparent Scam' Nearly Costs Capital Region Victim $19K, Police Say A would-be phone scam victim is being credited with helping to catch two suspects accused of trying to swindle them out of nearly $20,000. In Albany County, police were called at around 10 a.m. Friday, April 21, with reports of a possible scam in progress in Loudonville, according to the Colonie Police Department. The victim told police that they had received a phone call from a man pretending to be their grandson who said he was in jail and needed bail money to be released. A second suspect then got on the phone and pretended to be the grandsons’ attorney, according to police. They told t…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
NY Woman Wires $49K To Scammer Posing As Microsoft Employee NY Woman Wires $49K To Scammer Posing As Microsoft Employee
NY Woman Wires $49K To Scammer Posing As Microsoft Employee A New York woman was scammed out of tens of thousands of dollars over the phone. The 85-year-old Long Island resident, of North Hills, was using her computer when she received a prompt to call a phone number, according to Nassau County Police. A man on the other end claimed to be a Microsoft employee and instructed her to go to her bank and transfer $49,000 to another bank account, which she did.  Once the transfer was complete, the man then instructed the victim to send him a copy of her driver’s license and the bank receipt for the transfer, police said. Nassau County Police said …

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Alert Issued In Hudson Valley For Scammers Pretending To Be Power Companies Alert Issued In Hudson Valley For Scammers Pretending To Be Power Companies
Alert Issued In Hudson Valley For Scammers Pretending To Be Power Companies Police in the Hudson Valley are warning people of phone calls coming from scammers posing as power companies.  Residents in Putnam County are receiving false automated phone calls from New York State Gas and Electric or Central Hudson that claim their power will be shut off in thirty minutes because of an unpaid balance, Putnam County Sheriff Kevin J. McConville said.  The false calls will then direct victims to call a number to speak with a representative, McConville said.  "These calls are a scam. NYSEG and Central Hudson would never shut off power via an automat…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Don't Fall For It: Scammers In Area Pretending To Be 'Sergeant Jason Cooke,' Authorities Say Don't Fall For It: Scammers In Area Pretending To Be 'Sergeant Jason Cooke,' Authorities Say
Don't Fall For It: Scammers In Area Pretending To Be 'Sergeant Jason Cooke,' Authorities Say Authorities are warning residents in the region of a new phone scam from a person pretending to be a deputy. Putnam County Sheriff Kevin McConville said in the last couple of days, several county residents have reported receiving phone calls from a man impersonating a member of the Sheriff’s Office.  The man has been calling residents, saying he is “Sergeant Jason Cooke” from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office at 3 County Center in Carmel, the sheriff's office said. The caller tells the person they are facing legal consequences for failing to comply with a prior or current criminal ma…

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by Kathy Reakes