In a commendable act of swift intervention, Chaverim of Rockland successfully prevented a local woman from falling victim to a scam that targeted her early this morning.
Around 9 a.m., the victim received a phone call from a fraudster posing as an Amazon representative, claiming there was fraudulent activity on her account. The scam escalated, with the caller later impersonating IRS agents, threatening her with arrest if she didn’t comply with their demands. The scammers coerced the woman into emptying her bank accounts and cashing a check.
Frightened by the threats, the woman withdrew $5,000 from her account and cashed a check for an additional $800, totaling $5,800. She then called a taxi service and headed to a CVS Pharmacy where she purchased $2,000 worth of gift cards at the scammers’ direction. The CVS cashier refused to allow further purchases, so the scammers sent her to a 7-Eleven on College Road to continue buying gift cards.
During this time, her husband grew concerned after repeated attempts to contact her went unanswered. Remembering a similar scam that had been reported on Monsey Scoop just a few weeks prior, he suspected his wife might be in danger. Acting quickly, he contacted a Chaverim volunteer, who escalated the call to a dispatcher.
The dispatcher reached out to the victim using Chaverim’s hotline number, but she was initially hesitant to believe that she was being scammed. It wasn’t until the dispatcher spoke to her in Yiddish and reassured her that they were from Chaverim that she finally realized the situation. She was urged not to hang up, and Chaverim members were immediately dispatched to meet her at the 7-Eleven.
Chaverim members swiftly arrived at the location, contacted the Ramapo Police Department, and successfully stopped the woman from handing over the remaining $3,800 to the scammers.
Monsey Scoop commends the dedicated Chaverim members who swiftly set aside their daily tasks to respond and take decisive action. Their timely efforts stopped the woman from falling further victim to the scam.
We encourage the community to stay alert. If you encounter any suspicious activity, don’t hesitate to contact local authorities for assistance.
Please share this article with friends and family to ensure that there are no further victims to these professional scam artists.
