Fraud Alert

Date:   2/14/2024

The Village of Rhinebeck Police would like to remind residents to exercise caution when receiving calls, texts or emails from unknown sources to avoid falling victim to fraud.

Some current scams include:

·        Computer virus – a phone number appears on the computer screen to fix the situation and upon calling the victim is tricked into paying high fees for the repair

·        Scammer poses as a known person in a text and tricks the victim into purchasing multiple gift cards for them with the promise of being reimbursed

·        Scammer claims to be from a business (Verizon, Central Hudson etc) and convinces the victim that their account is overdue, and the victim is tricked into sending money through a payment app.

·        Scammer poses as an attorney for a family member who has been in a recent accident.  The victim is tricked into sending money to help their family member.

·        Scammer poses as the victim’s bank in a text and tricks the victim into providing their account information.

Some tips to follow:

• Never provide your personal or banking information via phone, email or text

• As soon as a caller mentions purchasing a gift card, this should be a major red flag.  Legitimate businesses will not demand payment in gift cards.

• If someone is claiming be an attorney demanding money for a family member, this should be a major red flag.  That is not a normal course of business, and you should contact the family member directly.

• If a business is claiming your account is overdue, request they send their demand in writing.

• If a caller threatens police involvement, disconnect the call and contact police to verify the validity of the call.

• When in doubt – STOP – do not give the caller any access to your accounts or computer.  You are always welcome to call the Village of Rhinebeck Police Department (845-876-8181) to discuss the call to determine if it is scam.  

Rhinebeck Police Department