Schenectady Police warn of rise in scams targeting seniors
Phone scam
The Schenectady Police Department is reporting an increase in scams targeting seniors.
In most cases, the victim initially was contacted by computer and told they owe money to resolve an issue or that they have won a vehicle and need to pay for the taxes, according to police.
The scammer often asks the victim to withdraw money and deposit it into an established account, purchase pre-paid gift cards or purchase items like gold.
Online scams and phone scams are often linked to more complex networks with origins outside of the Capital District, which police said makes them difficult to investigate.
Police are offering the following tips:
- Never email financial information or account numbers
- Be cautious when opening attachments and downloading files from emails.
- If you believe something is suspicious, don’t respond.
- Never rely on caller ID alone to authenticate a caller because scammers can “spoof” caller IDs to make it appear that you are calling from a legitimate agency. If you’re unsure, hang up and call back.
- You cannot win a contest you did not enter.
- Legitimate businesses will not ask you to purchase pre-paid debit cards, gift cards or other items as forms of payment.