Clever Scammer Pretending To Be Police Chief Targets Oneonta, NY

We all know that scammers are getting more clever with how they wheedle your all-important personal information out of you and it can come in so many ways: texts, email, phone calls, mail, and even in-person but it seems the more detailed the information, the more believable the scam.

Here's a perfect example of a very believable scam that just happened to a Town of Oneonta resident according to City of Oneonta Police.  This was posted yesterday on the Oneonta Police Department Facebook page...

Unfortunately, when a scammer pretends to be someone you know, especially when it's an authority figure like a police chief (in this case), it can create enough of a seed of doubt to get you to give out even a small amount of personal information. It's amazing how little personal information a scammer needs in order to commit fraud in your name.

The bottom line is: NEVER give out ANY personal information to someone asking for it, no matter how you're contacted. In the case above, it was a miracle that the person the scammer contacted was someone who personally knew Oneonta Chief Witzenberg and what his voice sounds like. Anyone else may have been easily fooled.

The other important piece of this is that the Town of Oneonta resident quickly reported the scam so that other area residents could be warned before falling victim to this clever attempt to steal personal information.

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It's best to stay up-to-date on the latest scams because as we all know, education is your best defense against scammers. If you can learn the many ways they attempt to get your sensitive information, you can avoid being the one who gives them the key to your financial kingdom. A great website to visit to gain information on scams is from the Federal Trade Commission - consumer.ftc.gov/features/scam-alerts. Check it out and get savvy on scams. It's your best defense!