A new scam has targeted Suffolk County residents by tricking them into turning over their bank cards and information, allowing scammers to withdraw funds from their accounts.
The scam, which targets mostly seniors, features individuals reaching out to victims by call or text claiming to be bank representatives. They then convince the victim that their bank account has been compromised and to turn their bank card over for “destruction.”
“What we have out here is scammers that are trying to invent every way possible to separate people from their money and take it for themselves,” Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine told reporters during a news conference on May 23.
Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said the scam has targeted two Suffolk residents in the past month: A 79-year-old North Babylon man and a 58-year-old East Patchogue woman.
In the North Babylon incident on April 29, a man called the victim by phone and convinced him that his bank account had been compromised. The victim allowed an unknown male to come to his home to collect his bank card and number before a woman used the card to withdraw $4,500 at an ATM in Garden City.
In the East Patchogue incident on May 3, the victim received a text about a bogus charge with a phone number for what claimed to be a bank fraud hotline. The victim called and provided the operator with her PIN number before a man picked up her card at her home to “destroy” it. A different man then withdrew $650 at an ATM in Bohemia.
The new con comes as scammers continue to transform their methods to trick victims. Recently, Suffolk police have seen scammers utilize AI to make their voices sound like family members to trick victims into thinking they are speaking with someone they know.
Catalina also warned of scammers “spoofing” phone numbers so that calls appear to be coming from someone else, even the Suffolk County Police Department.
“No law enforcement agency is ever going to ask for money,” he said. “We don’t do that, no law enforcement agency would. So please remember that.”
Romaine also discussed scam attempts on himself, most notably emails telling him that he owes money to his PayPal account, even though he does not have a PayPal account. Suffolk County Comptroller John Kennedy noted that the county has implemented new protective measures to combat scam attempts against the county, including working with law enforcement and the district attorney to protect public funds.
“We have to create consequences,” Romaine said. “We’re going to find you and we’re going to go after you to make you an example to everyone. You can’t scam anyone, particularly seniors, in Suffolk County.”
Catalina urged anyone to call Suffolk police when they suspect they were swindled or went through an attempted con. He also suggested educating the elderly about the scams so they can protect their money and alert the police.
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers can be reached at 1-800-220-TIPS.
