Nassau County Police Give Warning After Elder Scam In New Hyde Park

NEW HYDE PARK, NY —The Nassau County Police Department issued a warning to the community after man fell victim to an elder scam Thursday morning in New Hyde Park.

Detectives said a 60-year-old victim received a phone call from a phone number titled “Nassau County Police," after which an unknown caller told him he had an outstanding warrant in another state and needed to withdraw $15,000 USC from the bank to purchase gift cards, according to news release from the department.

After giving the serial numbers from numerous gift cards the victim became suspicious and decided to stop, but his total losses already totaled $4,700, officials said.

"The Nassau County Police Department urges the community to be on alert and to remind vulnerable family members, friends and neighbors about potential scams or frauds," officials said. "Nassau County Police Department does not contact the public to request money."

Anyone with information is urged to contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS or call 911. All callers will remain anonymous.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in 2021 there were 92,371 older victims of fraud resulting in $1.7 billion in losses. This was a 74% increase in losses compared to 2020.

The National Council on Aging lists the most common financial scams targeting older people as government impersonation scams, sweepstakes scams, and robocall scams.