She was told to go to Connecticut to deposit her money into crypto after someone told her that her accounts were compromised, police say.
| Updated
FARMINGDALE, NY — A Farmingdale woman was scammed out of $500,000, she reported to the Nassau police on Monday, police said.
A woman, 69, was called by someone claiming to be an Apple employee who told her that her computer and all of her accounts were compromised, police said. The scammer told the woman she needed to withdraw all her money from her bank account and travel to Connecticut to transfer it into multiple cryptocurrency accounts to keep it all safe, police said.
Subscribe
The woman made several trips to Connecticut, transferring more than $500,000 from her account, police said. The woman’s bank told her she was scammed and contacted police.
“The Nassau County Police Department urges the community to be on alert and to remind vulnerable family members, friends and neighbors about potential scams or frauds,” police said.
Detectives request anyone with information regarding the scam to call Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS or call 911. All callers will remain anonymous.
Seniors are being targeted through certain scams, said Nassau County Executive Bruce A. Blakeman and Police Commissioner Patrick J. Ryder. Some examples are:
- Relative Arrested Scam – Victims are advised by the caller that one of their relatives has been in an accident or has been arrested and is in police custody. The caller says that bail must be paid, and they arrange for a meeting place for the payment. Payment can be cash, or the victim is instructed to purchase gift cards.
- Social Security Scam – Number has been used for fraudulent activity. To avoid loss of finances, the victim must provide bank account information or send gift cards.
- IRS Scam – A caller states they are from the IRS and the victim is in danger of being arrested or fined due to tax discrepancies. It is not general practice for the IRS to call on the telephone and in no circumstances would they ask for payments via gift cards.
- Lottery Scam – Victims are contacted and notified that they are the winner of a cash prize. The caller states a transfer or handling fee is needed to collect the money.
- Computer Scam – A victim receives a message while online stating there is a problem and the ‘person’ needs to take remote access control to repair the problem. At that time, they gain access to personal information files and online banking information to remove or transfer funds.
- Home Improvement Scam – A contractor representative will come to the home and offer a free inspection or home repairs. Do not let people you do not know into your home. Do not pay for work you did not approve to be performed and do not pay in advance for work to be completed. Try to pay by check or credit card as receipt or record.
- Arrest Warrant Scam – Victim receives a message from law enforcement, and they request gift cards to void the warrant.
- PSEG Scam – Residents and small business customers receive calls from people claiming to be PSEG employees stating that a payment must be made immediately, or their service will be disconnected.
- Amazon Scam – Victim is advised that their account has been hacked or fraudulently activity was observed. The person is requested to pay off account balance with gift cards.
Nassau County residents are being targeted through pop-ups on their smart TVs and computers, police warned.
Scammers typically prevent people from logging into their streaming service, which states there is a problem, virus, or unpaid bill.
People are then instructed to call them and to download the AnyDesk app, which allows people remote access to personal computers and other devices.
A fake representative will insist people pay an activation fee or allow them remote access to the smart TV, according to police. They then install malware onto TVs that captures one’s personal information.
Nassau police urged residents to take these steps in the event of an attempted scam:
- Double-check any fees you have to pay: Research if a pop-up asks you to pay an activation fee or antivirus fee. Roku never charges activation OR registration fees.
- Do not fall for fraudulent websites: Fake websites are a threat, even on smart TVs, so verify the URL.
- Check before you call: If a “customer service” number pops up, contact the streaming service or TV manufacturer’s website to find their official customer support number.
- NEVER let anyone control your device remotely: Scammers usually ask for remote computer and/or smart TV access. Don’t ever give control of your device to anyone.
Credit: Source link
