At least three Putnam County residents have experienced scams in the last week or so, according to Sheriff Donald B. Smith.
“Each year more and more scams are developed by unscrupulous people who prey on law-abiding citizens,” he said. “Too often these schemes to defraud are aimed at one of our most vulnerable segments of our population—our senior citizens. We must always remember the old adage; If something is too good to be true, it often is.”
Officials encourage residents to contact authorities if they receive suspicious email, mail or telephone calls where they are asked to provide personal information.
Here’s how police describe the scams:
Earlier this week, officials of Putnam County’s Office for Aging reported that they had received an advisory from New York State’s Office for Aging whereby a male caller telephones people at senior citizen centers, friends and family informing recipients that a friend had purchased a medical alert system for them, and it is free for them. The caller wants to set up a time for a man to come over to the recipient’s home to install the equipment. These calls seem to have circulated throughout the State and have been verified as a fraud. Similar telephone calls have reportedly been received by at least two Putnam County senior citizens. The New York State Office for Aging recommends anyone receiving this type of phone call not give out and personal information and hang up immediately.
Another scam was reported by a Mahopac man. He reported receiving an email from, ‘FedEx COURIER Services.’ The contents of the email advised the recipient that “there is an International Certified Bank Draft which was deposited in our office by one Mr. G. Smith to be delivered to you.” The message continues by instructing the receiver to send $175 to an individual in the London – United Kingdom and in return he will have the bank draft in the amount of $780,000 US Dollars ‘delivered to your door.’