Chaverim of Rockland intervened to prevent a woman from being scammed out of $30,000 on Monday. The incident unfolded after her husband alerted the Chaverim hotline to suspicious behavior involving purported U.S. Marshals.
Early Monday morning, a distressed man called the Chaverim hotline, saying he needed help in Montvale, New Jersey, near Monsey. He struggled to communicate in English and was speaking to a police officer on the scene when Chaverim’s coordinator and Ramapo Police liaison Yossi Margaretten, returned his call. He instructed the man to hand the phone to the officer to clarify the situation.
The officer explained that the man had followed a teacher’s car onto school property, leading to his encounter with the police. Margaretten assured the officer that it was likely a misunderstanding.
The incident was rooted in a scam that had targeted the man’s wife earlier. The scammers, posing as U.S. Marshals, threatened her with dire consequences unless she made an immediate payment. Although she was initially skeptical, she looked up the provided marshal’s name and phone number, both of which seemed valid. Convinced of their legitimacy, she continued to comply.
Instructed to head to a bank, the woman received an Uber from the scammers to drive her there. She quickly messaged her husband, who decided to follow the vehicle. However, he lost sight of the Uber and mistakenly began following another car, which led to his encounter with the police.
At the bank, the woman remained on the phone with the scammers, who told her to withdraw $30,000 and explain to the teller that it was for house construction. The bank staff found her actions suspicious and asked twice if she felt safe, but she assured them she was fine. After withdrawing the money, she was told to wait for another Uber that would transport her to a CVS, where she would buy gift cards for the scammers.
Meanwhile, Chaverim’s secretary repeatedly called her phone, but the woman was too frightened to answer. Eventually, while waiting for the Uber outside the bank, she picked up and spoke to the Chaverim team, who warned her not to return to the scammers on the other line. They reassured her that Chaverim volunteers, her husband and police were on their way and urged her to remain where she was.
Thanks to the quick response of Chaverim of Rockland, the woman’s money was protected, and the police are currently investigating the incident.
Chaverim Of Rockland pleads to the community: Please share this article with friends and family to ensure that there are no further victims to these professional scam artists.