The Oswego Police Department is sending out a warning tonight concerning two possible scams targetting city residents. Below is the press release from Oswego Police.  

On April 14, 2010 at about 4:11pm Oswego Police responded to Price Chopper (137 St Rt 104 Oswego, NY) inregard to a possible fraud complaint. Upon arrival, Oswego Police spoke with a Price Chopper employee, who stated that an elderly woman had requested to send a large amount of money to a location in Jamaica via Western Union. The Price Chopper employee, suspecting that the woman was potentially falling victim to a scam, notified police to investigate before processing the transaction. According to the woman; she was contacted by a male who claimed to have been calling on behalf of a friend in common, and that the friend was in need of money for a medical situation. After police spoke with the woman, she agreed to re-deposit the money in her bank until the information could be confirmed. Oswego Police have been attempting to ascertain the validity of the story told to the woman, but have yet been able to substantiate any part of the story.

In another incident that was reported to Oswego Police on April 21, 2010, a victim stated that she had answered a job posting on Craiglist.com for a housekeeper. The victim stated she had emailed back and forth with an prospective employer and when she agreed to take the job, she received a package in the mail which contained a check. The victim was reportedly told to deposit the check in her account which she did. The victim also stated she was advised by the prospective employer to wire transfer money to an out of state real estate agent who had keys to a residency in Oswego and in order for her to start her job, she had to receive the keys. The victim stated she wired transferred the money on April 12, 2010 and has not heard back from the prospective employer or the "real estate agent".

According to Oswego City Police Chief Michael J. Dehm Jr., "We will continue our investigation into these matters, but in similar cases throughout the United States and across the globe, victims have lost tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars at a time to scams like these. These are classic examples that if something doesn't seem quite right, it probably isn't. I would like to commend the Price Chopper employee who notified us before processing the woman's request; she may have just prevented this woman from losing a large portion of her savings." If anyone thinks that they have fallen victim to these or any other scam, or if you suspect that you are being targeted for a scam, you should report it to your local law enforcement agency. Other information regarding tips to protect yourself and your family from various forms of fraud or for information on the most common complaints and scams you can visit the Federal Bureau of Investigation website at: www.fbi.gov/majcases/fraud/internetschemes.htm

Oswego Police: 315-343-1212 / Tip Line: 315-342-8131 / Email: crimewatch@oswegony.org