Suffolk Police Warn Of Scammers Ahead Of Holiday Season

YAPHANK, NY — Suffolk police are reminding residents to be vigilant of scammers looking to profit during the holiday season — some using spoofing tools to clone the voices of relatives, others pretending to work for big companies like Amazon.

Department officials noted criminals are constantly looking for new opportunities to prey on people for financial gain, and the holidays are traditionally a time when people are preoccupied and could fall victim to a scam.

Scammers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence or “spoofing” tools to clone the voices of individuals who post on social media, and those cloned voices create a script to call a family member in hopes of convincing an unsuspecting victim to send money to them, according to police.

An 85-year-old Hauppauge man recently received a call from a person using artificial intelligence voice change and claimed to be his granddaughter, stating she was arrested and needed $19,000 in bail money, police said.

The grandfather met a person two separate times on Nov. 9 and turned over the requested cash, according to police.

During another recent scam, a 70-year-old Smithtown woman spoke to a person purporting to be an Amazon representative, claiming someone was trying to use her bank account to buy electronics, police said.

She was told since her bank account was compromised, and that she should turn over her cash to keep it safe, then made three separate withdrawals totaling more than $100,000, and the cash was picked up by the same man on three different dates, according to police.

After the withdrawals, she was told to purchase gold coins at a pawn shop with a personal check of $94,000, police said, adding, that after doing so, she sent a photo of the receipt to the man, who then picked up the coins when ready, police said.

The two cases remain under investigation, but police say it is a reminder of how convincing scammers can be and Financial Crime Unit detectives are providing free scam prevention presentations to community groups and senior centers to educate the public.

The department has created safety tip flyers in multiple languages to ensure the message is being received by all residents.

Residents should be wary of individuals claiming:
• They are part of a legitimate organization you are familiar with.
• There is a problem or a prize.
• A family member is injured or in jail.
• There is a need to act immediately or they threaten your safety.
• Payment must be made in a specific form, like cash or Venmo.

Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison noted that residents should be aware of people "who are looking to take advantage of the generosity of others during this time of year."

“We strongly encourage the public to educate themselves and be cognizant of such operations that are prevalent during the holiday season so that they are protected from scammers," he said. “We are reminding residents to resist the urge to act immediately. Before sending money, speak to a trusted family member or call police."

"No legitimate company makes threats or demands cash," he said.

Anyone interested in a prevention seminar or obtaining safety tips, contact the department’s Financial Crimes Unit at 631-852-6821.