SCAM ALERT: New twists to old tricks, what to look out for in recent scams

January 20, 2022

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Romance, pet, grandparent, car warranty scams haven’t died down. But now Camillus Police are seeing new twists to those annoying e-mails and phone calls. As scammers get smarter with their tricks, knowing what to look out for is essential.

A recent e-mail sent to a Camillus man instructed him to head to a kiosk for cryptocurrency to send to the scammer to avoid embarrassing social media posts.

“Basically, the scammer was trying to get him to send cryptocurrency, and if he didn’t, they would steal their personal information or post, like their social media activity. It was that type of scam. Luckily, the victim recognized it was a scam, and no funds were sent, ” says Camillus Police detective Anthony Gucciardi.

Unfortunately, this is just one scam of many more emerging. Detective Gucciardi also warns there’s a new twist to the grandparent scam.

Scammers will tell grandparents that their grandchild requires money for something like medical care, a jail bond or that they need to pay a ransom for their kidnapping.

Previously, scammers would ask for cash through wire transfers or gift cards. But now, they have switched to using couriers or ride-sharing services.

“After receiving a call from a scammer, a courier recently showed up at a woman’s house in Camillus to collect money, ” says Detective Gucciardi, ” I don’t want to discuss too much more, what happened after that, but it’s definitely happening more and more throughout Onondaga County.”

Scammers are getting bolder. Don’t get caught up in the scheme. If you are confused or feel pressured, Detective Gucciardi advises you to call your local police department to help you determine whether the call, e-mail, or text message was legit. 

Jack Stevens, “SCAM ALERT: New twists to old tricks, what to look out for in recent scams”. localsyr, scam-alert-new-twists-to-old-tricks-what-to-look-out-for-in-recent-scams/

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