CLARENCE, N.Y. — New York State Police are investigating a number of fraud cases that so far in 2022 have cost Western New Yorkers more than a half million dollars.
One recent case involves a 79-year-old woman from Clarence who got a call from what appeared to be her bank. The scam caller said the woman's account had been compromised, and she needed to mail $30,000 to Philadelphia because her money would be better protected in another state.
The woman fell for it, and that's not all.
State Police say the next day she got another scam call. This time the caller said there was another problem and that she needed to hand over $47,000 to a courier. The woman, now suspicious, called New York State Police.
Troopers responded right as the handoff was about to happen.
"Here you are thinking that the person getting this money from the victim, we'd be arresting them, charging them. Justice served right? But that's not always the case," said Trooper James O'Callaghan, Troop A public information officer.
That's because in this case, the man picking up the money told police he was working as a courier after answering an employment ad on an online app. Investigators say there's no evidence to prove he knew he was part of a scam or even knew who the scammers were.
The previously mailed package was actually flagged during the shipping company's routine package inspection process, so the money never made it to the intended destination.
"It's an ongoing investigation. A lot of these investigations go months if not years depending on how much money was lost, how the money was used or transferred. That money is not going to come back to her anytime soon," said Trooper O'Callaghan.
In another case, a 79-year-old woman from Stafford, NY lost $111,000 after she mailed $28,000 in cash and bought $25,000 in Bitcoin and $4,000 worth of gift cards for scammers.
The initial call looked like it came from a local police department.
The scammer said the woman's identity had been stolen and used, and the caller had a sense of urgency. They also said the FBI was involved — all common lies and tactics thieves use to get victims to act fast.
"If they can get you with that, they will keep casting lines out to get you to do different things, send money different ways. And they come up with a different reason why it's so important, so urgent that you send this money," said Trooper O'Callaghan. "These people that call up and try to scam are professionals. They know what they're doing. They're very good. They're articulate over the phone, and they know how to work you."
Trooper O'Callaghan said there's yet another local case in which a man lost $300,000 to scammers.
"It is unbelievable how much money is exchanged in these different fraud cases," said O'Callaghan. "Oh I'll never fall for that. That's not going to get me. We're smarter than that, but all of our victims in all of our cases said the exact same thing."
State Police say they wouldn't have to issue a warning if the scam calls didn't work, but they are — over and over again. Seniors are often the target, but people of all ages are losing thousands of dollars.
"Depending on the answer you give, they're going to come after you with a different angle. Very convincing," said O'Callaghan.
In 2021, Troopers in the eight counties of Western New York handled more than 400 fraud cases, and losses totaled more than $1 million.
Trooper O'Callaghan said it's estimated that only one in 10 victims actually reports being scammed, often times because they're too embarrassed to admit it. So the criminals continue to get away with the scams.
State Police also say many of the scammers are in other countries which makes cracking down nearly impossible. The stolen money is often connected to other crimes, such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, and terrorism.
"It's not someone just sitting around trying to get a few extra bucks to go buy a car or a house or just scam people just for a few extra pocket dollars," said Trooper O'Callaghan.
State Police say common scams include several different scenarios:
- The caller claims to be a family member who has been arrested or has an illness and needs money right away or says they're a law enforcement official who is demanding bail for someone.
- The caller claims to be law enforcement or your bank and says your account has been compromised and that you need to send money ASAP to fix the issue.
- Scammers will send text messages or emails with an "urgent" message about an account that has been compromised and needs immediate attention.
- The caller will request cash to be packaged in a specific way, such as wrapped in tinfoil or heavily taped.
- They also request gift cards and often ask the victim to tell them the card number and security code over the phone.
- Scammers also request payment by having the victim purchase cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin.
State Police say legitimate businesses, government agencies, and police will not ask for payment with gift cards or large amounts of cash.
Police do not ask for money to fix alleged identity theft or problems with Social Security Numbers or bank accounts. Police also do not send text messages asking for account information as part of an investigation.
Trooper O'Callaghan says if you get a call you believe to be a scam, resist the urge to act immediately. Verify the caller's identity. Do not send cash, gift cards, or money transfers. Do not give personal banking information by email or over the phone.