OSWEGO, NY – The Oswego Police Department wants to alert the public about possible scams in the area.
On April 14, at about 4:11 p.m., police responded to Price Chopper, 137 State Route 104, in regard to a possible fraud complaint.
Upon arrival, officers 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 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 man 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.
They haven’t been able to substantiate any part of the story.
In another incident that was reported to Oswego Police on Wednesday (April 21), 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 a 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, and hasn’t heard back from the prospective employer or the “real estate agent.â€
“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,” said Oswego Police Chief Mike Dehm. “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.â€
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
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Coordinator of the Oswego Community Neighborhood Watch would like to thank the Price Chooper employee for doing what the program is all about. We look out for each other.You helped this lady from losing alot of money. [THANK YOU AGAIN]
I had two meeting from the State Attorney General Office come down and speak at the Oswego City Library about idenity theft, about phone calls,mail and how to be safe on the computer. They said put your childrens computer in a room were you can be aware of what they are doing on it. Don’t put it in there bedroom. If you get a phone call or mail etc.and it doesn’t sound right it’s not. So beaware and let the police know because it could of happened to someone eles. If you are not sure of something that sound suspicious please call the polce about it.They will be glad to help you or answer your questions.