POLICE: Saugerties Resident Falls for $12,000 Scam, Warning Others

Before you say, "how could someone fall for a scam like this in today's world?" think about being completely caught off guard when some calls you to say a family member has been arrested. That's what happened to one Saugerties resident recently and according to the Saugerties Police Department, this scam is making the rounds across the Hudson Valley.

What's the Scam?

According to numerous reports, the scam starts with a phone call, and once a person answers, the scammer states they are calling on behalf of a loved one or a close friend. The scammers then inform the potential victim that a family member or friend has been involved in an accident or has been arrested. The scammer then goes on to say that they have been instructed to call them in order to obtain money for either bail or they pretend to be an attorney, and in order to represent their loved one, they will need a large retainer.

Saugerties Man Falls for $12,000 Scam

In a recent case that the Saugerties Police Department is currently investigating, one man received a call with the scammer stating that they were an attorney calling on behalf of the victim's grandson. The scammer then told the man that he would need to provide $12,000 cash to have his grandson released from jail. The scammer then told the victim that he would send a courier to his house to pick up the money once the victim had the cash.

Believing that the caller was an attorney, and wanting to help his grandson, the victim went to his local bank and withdrew $12,000. Once he arrived back at his residence, an unknown person was there claiming to be the courier. The man gave the person the cash and he left.

Saugerties police didn't provide an update on how or when the victim realized that they were scammed, but did say that they have received numerous calls reporting similar activity. If you have received a call similar to the ones mentioned above, police are urging you to contact your local police department as soon as possible to report it.

If you do get a call like this, before going to get cash to help, you should always contact your local police department as they can verify if your loved one has in fact been arrested.