Police Warn Residents Of Elaborate Phone Scam In New York

New York State Police are warning citizens about a phone scam aimed at stealing their money. One thing scammers are going to do is SCAM! There's an elaborate phone scam that is targeting New Yorkers.

READ MORE: Could New York Lose Its Most Famous Monument?

New York State Police have received an increasing number of complaints about an elaborate phone/computer scam. The scam has been targeting elderly people via email and telephone. The scammer demands money from the victim for various reasons. They then set up a location to meet the victim to pick up the money. The victim then meets the scammer in person, where they will provide a "code word" to the victim and retrieve the money.

One of these scammers was arrested by NYSP. State Police of Fonda arrested Zixiong Wang, a 27-year-old man from Flushing, New York. He was charged with attempted Grand Larceny in the third degree and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the fifth degree. An elderly resident of Montgomery County reported that they had been a victim of the scam. The victim received an email saying that they had purchased cryptocurrency. The victim contacted the customer service number provided in the email and was manipulated into believing they were a victim of fraud. The interaction resulted in the victim losing over $40,000.

READ MORE: 9 Scam Phone Area Codes New Yorkers Should Never Answer

NYSP was able to arrest Wang after more money was demanded from the victim, leading Wang to meet the victim to pick up cash. Instead, State Police Investigators took him into custody. Wang is also wanted in Delaware for a similar crime. Police believe more individuals are involved in the scam.

NYSP warns residents that these types of scams are increasing. They advise citizens to never give personal information to anyone and not to open emails or text messages from unknown people. Do not call any numbers provided in suspicious communications, instead, look up the number of any company listed yourself.

Get our free mobile app