Hoosick Falls Scam Alert

by Bea Peterson
Spring is here. And, like the daffodils and tulips that are blooming everywhere, so are the scams. According to Hoosick Falls Police Chief Robert Ashe the police have had reports about one or two calls every week specifically targeting the elderly. [private]These calls tell seniors there is a problem at their bank and their help is needed to solve the problem. Seniors are asked to draw money out of their accounts and transfer the money to a different bank or, in some cases, make online transfers from one bank to another or, in other cases, to give it to an individual with the promise the money will be returned in two days.
Another scam is callers pretending to be a family member in trouble and in need of money immediately with the request to send the money overseas. The trigger to this one is when the scammer begs the person not to tell anyone else in the family.
Still another is one in which the caller pretends to be from the person’s bank and requests the person’s social security number and other banking information for verification. “Your bank is not going to call you and ask you for information,” said Ashe. “Any banking information or large transaction should be done at the bank.”
Chief Ashe said that often these scam artists will focus in on a particular area, like Hoosick. He said it is important that people talk to one another so they become aware of these scams. Most important is that children keep in close touch with their elderly parents and ask if they have received strange phone calls or requests from strangers for money. These scam artists always ask for large sums of money, thousands of dollars. If they hit a person one day for $5,000 and they are successful, they may call again the next day asking for even more money. In Albany recently two women were scammed out of more than $15,000 each.
No one is immune. Chief Ashe said his daughter received a request to send funds to Berkshire Bank. She does not have an account there. The next day she saw on the television where there was a scam targeting Berkshire Bank.
A separate issue that recently came to Ashe’s attention had to do with money disappearing from a joint account. It turned out that one person on the account has early onset Alzheimer’s. The Chief said again, “It is important to keep in touch with elderly parents and relatives.[/private]