Advertisement. Advertise with us

Beware Of Phone Scams,

Oneonta Police Advising

ONEONTA – The Oneonta Police Department is warning residents of “numerous phone scams” reported locally.

They include:

• A caller purportedly from the Social Security Office advises you your Social Security number  has been compromised. You are then asked for personal information, including bank information, and – eventually – to send money.

• A caller says he or she is a lawyer and a relative of yours has been arrested and needs bail money.

• A caller poses as someone’s relative, who sounds different because of a cold, and asks for bail money.

OPD recommends the following response:

• Resist the urge to act immediately, no matter how dramatic the story, and do what you can to verify a caller’s identity. (Remember phone numbers can be spoofed so do not count on that as verification of a caller’s identity.)

• Do not send cash, gift cards or money transfers.

• Never give out personal or banking information.

• If something seems suspicious or you feel you have been a victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement agency.

Posted

2 Comments

  1. The calls are increasing. I got one yesterday from “Social Security” saying that my SS number was going to be suspended. Obviously just a scam, and I hung up. With all the information we are being given about these scams, it’s hard to believe people still fall for them. And I’m probably a prime target, being an octogenarian! With all the technology out there, isn’t there some way to backtrack and find these crooks?

  2. I mess with them. There’s nothing like hearing someone scream obscenities in a foreign accent before slamming down their phone to bring a bit of sunshine into a cold, gray winter day.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Related Articles

SCOLINOS: It’s All We Need To Know: Home Plate 17 Inches Wide

COLUMN VIEW FROM THE GAME It’s All We Need To Know: Home Plate 17 Inches Wide Editor’s Note:  Tim Mead, incoming Baseball Hall of Fame president, cited John Scolinos, baseball coach at his alma mater, Cal Poly Pomona, as a lifelong inspiration, particularly Scolinos’ famous speech “17 Inches.” Chris Sperry, who published sperrybaseballlife.com, heard Scolinos deliver a version in 1996 at the American Baseball Coaches Association in Nashville, and wrote this reminiscence in 1916 in his “Baseball Thoughts” column. By CHRIS SPERRY • from www.sperrybaseballlife.com In 1996, Coach Scolinos was 78 years old and five years retired from a college coaching…

Sports Can Resume, Superintendents Told

CLICK HERE FOR MEMO TO SCHOOLS Sports Can Resume, Superintendents Told COOPERSTOWN – In a memo released Friday evening, county Public Health Director Heidi Bond advised local school superintendents that sports can resume as early as Monday. “Effective Feb. 1, participants in higher-risk sports may participate in individual or distanced group training and organized no/low-contact group training,” Bond wrote, “…including competitions and tournaments, if permitted by local health authorities.”…

Piper Seamon Scores 1,000th point

1,000 THANKS! Piper Seamon 5th CCS Girl To Hit High Mark The Cooperstown Central student section erupts as Piper Seamon scores her 1,000th career point in the Hawkeyes’ 57-39 win over Waterville at home last evening. Seamon becomes the fifth girl and only the 14th player in school history overall to score 1,000 points.  Inset at right, Pipershares a hug with teammate Meagan Schuermann after the game was stopped to acknowledge her achievement. Seamon will play basketball next year at Hamilton College. (Cheryl Clough/AllOTSEGO.com)  …