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The Yonkers Police Department has received information that scammers have been targeting immigrant communities, and if the target of the fraud refuses to pay, they are threatened with false reports to immigration officials if they don’t send along money.
Police said that members of the community “are reminded to never engage in financial transactions with unknown people over the telephone, and to simply hang up on those types of unsolicited calls.
Investigators noted that a similar scam was reported on by the FTC more than two years ago.
According to the FTC:
- Be skeptical about a “free” prize. If you have to pay, it’s not free.
- Don’t give money to someone who tells you over the phone that you’ll be arrested if you don’t pay them. Scammers may pressure you with threats of arrest or lawsuits. Resist the pressure and hang up.
- Wiring money is like paying with cash. It’s nearly impossible to trace it or get your money back. The same goes for prepaid cards. If anyone asks you to pay with a wire transfer or prepaid card, that’s a clear sign of a scam.
- Talk to someone. Before you give up your money or personal information, talk to someone you trust. And stay up-to-date on the latest scams with free scam alerts: ftc.gov/scams.
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