Officers are encouraging people, especially senior citizens, to be cautious when it comes to potential scams.
On March 3 a Whitestone senior got a call from a man posing as a Brooklyn cop. The man told the victim his grandson had been arrested and in order for him to be released they needed $2,400 in bail bonds sent to Peru, since, he claimed, all local establishments were backed up.
The victim complied, but when the suspect called back, asking for more money, the senior called his daughter-in-law, who told him everything was, in fact, fine.
The victim was out $2,400.
A police source offered these tips to help stop potential scammers:
1. No police department would ever call you and tell you to send bail bond money.
2. Always check with family first to see if the story corroborates.
3. If you are asked to send money overseas, a red flag should go up immediately.
4. Use caller ID – if you don’t know the number, don’t answer, and if you do, save the digits.
