In a fast and coordinated response, Chaverim of Rockland successfully intervened in a scam that targeted a local woman in our community today.
Earlier in the day, the victim received a phone call from an individual posing as a detective, claiming there was suspicious activity on her bank account. To make the scam appear legitimate, the scammers spoofed the Ramapo Police Department’s phone number and warned her that failure to comply would result in her arrest and frozen accounts.
In a state of panic, the woman took a taxi to the M&T Bank on Route 59, where she withdrew $5,000 from her account. Following the scammer’s instructions, she then proceeded to CVS at the corner of Grandview Avenue and Route 306 to purchase gift cards. However, the CVS teller, recognizing something was off, refused to sell her the gift cards as she did not have her ID. The woman called her husband to bring her ID and informed him she would return home to retrieve it.
After this conversation, her husband lost contact with her and, growing increasingly concerned, reached out to Chaverim for assistance. Simultaneously, the scammer, who was still on the phone with her, instructed her to cancel her taxi ride home, promising to send a new one to take her to a different store where she could buy the gift cards without needing an ID.
Upon receiving the call from the woman’s husband, Chaverim quickly dispatched its members, initiating a search across local stores known for selling gift cards. They also coordinated with Arrive Taxi Company to track her movements and deployed drones and camera units to review surveillance footage.
One of Chaverim’s members eventually spotted the woman exiting Sephora at the Nanuet Mall with a stack of gift cards in hand. By this time, she had already given the scammers $2,000 worth of card numbers. The member immediately approached her, explained that she was being scammed, and managed to recover the remaining $3,000 in gift cards before any further loss occurred. Though initially resistant due to fear of arrest, the woman was reassured and convinced of her safety.
Meanwhile, Chaverim’s Coordinator Yossi Margeratten had been working with the Ramapo Police Department to have Verizon ping her phone. However, because the woman was not considered in immediate danger, Verizon declined the request without a court order. Fortunately, before the court order could be obtained, the woman was successfully located.
We encourage the community to stay alert. If you encounter any suspicious activity, don’t hesitate to contact local authorities for assistance.
