Watch out! There is a new gift card scam going on in Central New York. Keep an eye out for these things:
People in Central New York should be aware of phone scams involving gift cards, according to the Herkimer Police Department. Chief Mike Jory of the Herkimer Police Department has warned people in the area about the latest scam going around:
We have received complaints from residents that they have been called by members of the Village of Herkimer, NY Police Department and the Herkimer County Government Sheriff’s Office claiming that the individual either missed a Court date, has a warrant, or has unpaid fines. In come cases, the caller has indicated that they were Chief Jory, Sheriff Scherer or indicated that they were acting on our behalf.”
When the call comes in, the person on the other end tells the person to buy several gift cards, give the numbers on the back as payment instead of cash, and mail the cards to either the Village of Herkimer or the Herkimer County Treasurer.
So Again- Watch Out For This
1) The caller says the person missed court, has an outstanding warrant, or owes fines that have not been paid.
2) The person calling tells the victim to buy gift cards and give them the numbers on the back of the cards.
“I have spoken with Sheriff Scherer this morning, and we assure you, this is a scam and that we would never authorize this type of activity. “
If you are still worried, you can call the Herkimer Police Department or the police department in your area about suspicious calls and calls that sound like scams.
