MANLIUS -- Police in Manlius want you to be on the lookout for crooks who want to get their hands on your money. Investigators say they're seeing an increase in reports of scams.
The top scam right now comes in the form of a call or email saying you've won a lot of money, but you have to send money to get it. Police say if you haven't signed up for a contest, it should be a red flag. Also, if you have to pay to get your prize, it's probably a scam.
Another is a phone call telling you that you have a package somewhere like UPS or FedEx, but you have to pay the shipping costs before you can get it. Police say shipping charges are typically paid when you buy the product, and normally you don't need to pay extra to pick it up.
There's also the grandparent scam, which targeted Christine Cassella in Minoa. A caller pretended to be her grandson, and said he was stuck in Canada and couldn't cross the border. He asked for help and money.
"He said 'Grandma you know who this is right?' And I said 'Yes, it's Michael' ," she said. Cassella said he sounded just like her grandson, and she thought it was him. But afterward she realized she told the scammer her grandson's name during the phonecall. Police warn not to give out personal information like this, instead, ask who is calling so the scammer must provide a name. But be warned that they may already know family names because they can access that information through public searches.
Cassella said a few minutes later, a man pretending to be a police officer called and asked Cassella to send $2,400 to bail out her grandson, to an address in the Dominican Republic. She said that's when red flags started going up. She hung up and called her lawyer, and figured out it was a scam. Then she called her family and friends to warn them to be wary of who is on the other line.
Cassella says looking back, she realizes how easy it would be for scammers to get away with this. "Their (grandparents) heart is so involved so it's easy to quickly act without really reasoning," she said. Cassella says from now on, she'll have a code word with her family, so she'll know if they are truly in trouble.
In all these cases, Manlius Police officers say the money is usually not recovered. It often ends up out of the country and cannot be traced. "If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is. Don't give your personal information out, be very wary of unsolicited calls," said Officer Angela Palmer with Manlius Police. Palmer says she's seen a big increase of scam complaints this month.
Manlius Police provide presentations on how to protect yourself from being scammed, you can contact Angela Palmer at 682-2212 if you'd like to set one up.
Here is the complete news release from the Manlius Police Department:
The Town of Manlius Police Department is asking that the public stay alert and aware of the increased presence of money scams.
Town of Manlius Police have reported a continued increase in reports relating to actual or attempted scams. One of the most common scams seen is the phone call or mail claim that the targeted victim has won an obscene amount of money. The target is then directed to send money via western union in order to pay for taxes and other associated fees in order to claim their winnings. Most often the victim is sending the money to an address that is out of country, even though the telephone number and return address are showing as U.S. locations. Keep in mind that if you have not singed up for the contest or you are being asked to send an amount of money to receive your winnings it is a scam.
Another recent scam the Town of Manlius has seen is a telephone call where the caller indicates you may have a package at a mail service location, such as USPS, UPS or FedEx. The targeted victim is told that the package is being held until the shipping charges are paid in full. Shipping charges are typically paid to the originating company upon purchase of the product. Shipping services will not pick up packages without these fees being paid in advance. Be aware that the caller is attempting to obtain personal information and account numbers.
And the latest scam, which has been on the rise, the grandparent scam. This scam is most likely going to be attempted via telephone. The caller claims to be a distressed grandchild of the victim, using the true name of the grandchild. The caller may indicate that they have been arrested or are being held in another country and they need money to post bail. Some have even gone so far as to involve a second party who claims to be the ‘National Bail Bondsman or the police officer who just arrested the relative. Remember, they are obtaining your relative’s names through public records searches.
We are asking that you stay alert and keep your personal information safe. These are scams and because the money is being sent out of the country it is not likely the money will ever be recovered.
Caitlin Nuclo will have much more on this story coming up on the CW 6 News at 10, NBC 3 News at 11, and CBS 5 News at 11.
