Phone Scam Reported

ALBANY — The New York State Police are warning the public after recently receiving an increasing number of complaints from victims of computer and phone scams.  Most recently, several citizens have been targeted in the Otsego County area.

Troopers have learned that several victims have lost thousands of dollars and some have even lost their life savings.

A victim recently reported to investigators in Sidney that they got a pop-up alert on their computer monitor and it appeared to be from Apple.  The pop-up message appeared with a phone number to dial for help.  When the victim called it, the scammer on the other end told the victim that their account was linked to child pornography, that the victim’s identity was compromised and that their personal information was on the dark web.  The victim was then told to contact another number which was allegedly to the U.S Department of Treasury’s Anti-Fraud Division.  The scammers even sent a “courier” to the victim’s house to pick up payment to allegedly fix the problem.

Please do not fall for these scams.  The scammer is trying to manipulate your emotions and create urgency to push you into giving them money, gold bars, bitcoin, crypto currency or gift cards.  A real tech company will never ask you to call a phone number.  Please do not share your personal information.