The 106th Precinct is urging residents to beware that reloadable debit cards – especially the top-selling, legitimate Green Dot cards – are the new money-moving method of choice for scammers.
According to the NYPD, the perpetrator will call a potential victim and identify themselves as a “marshal” from a government agency, including the Internal Revenue Service or the New York State lottery, as well as from ConEd, Keyspan, or Publishers’ Clearing House. The scammer will then tell the victim that they owe them thousands of dollars and they have 30 minutes to pay the outstanding balance or they will be arrested or deported.
After making this false threat, the perpetrator then directs the victim to purchase a reloadable debit card, such as the Green Dot Money Pack cards, and orders him or her to load money on it and provide the transaction numbers located on the back of the card over the phone for payment.
Officers from the 106th stressed that legitimate businesses and government agencies do not conduct business transactions in this manner, and they do not instruction individuals to purchase Green Dot cards for any type of payment.
Please verify any unsolicited business transaction requests by contacting the company yourself with a number or email you yourself obtain.
For more information, please call the 106th Precinct at (718) 845-2223 or email 106Precinct@NYPD.org.
