Upstate New Yorker Nearly Loses $10,000 In Clever Scam

One Upstate New Yorker got very, very lucky!

A quick-thinking Upstate New York resident and some very fast work by New York State Police and UPS stopped a scammer from walking away with $10,000 in cash.

Scammer Tried To Steal $10,000 From an Upstate New York Resident

Tomislav Forgo

New York State Police said a Saratoga County resident was called by someone claiming to be from his bank. Spoiler alert, it wasn't really his bank calling.

The caller told the Upstate New Yorker they were following up on a fraud report that the man really did file back in March. That made the call sound very convincing.

The scammer then told the victim he needed to mail $10,000 in cash to an address in the Bronx as "evidence" for the ongoing investigation. The man did mail the $10,000, but the next morning, he may have made a mistake and called New York State Police to report what he now assumed was a crime.

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He started to think the call was actually "a continuation of the March 2026 compromise," police say.

How Scam It Was Stopped By New York State Police In The Hudson Valley

NSYP

New York State Police investigators reached out to UPS, and together they tracked down the package before it was ever delivered. It was found in Yonkers last week.

New York State Police then personally returned the $10,000 in cash to the victim.

Key Tips From New York State Police To Not Get Scammed

Stuart Miles

Troopers are now reminding all New Yorkers that no real bank, government agency, or law enforcement office will ever ask you to mail cash, buy gift cards, or send precious metals as part of any kind of investigation. If someone is asking you to do any of those things, it's a scam.

A few other safety tips from police.

Don't open emails from people you don't know,
Be careful clicking any links, even if they appear to come from someone you trust,
Make sure your devices and software are up to date.

The FDIC has a full list of tips to help protect yourself, which you can find on their website.

Scam Warning: Never Answer These Area Codes

These 7 area codes are most often associated with the 1-ring scam according to Cheapism, so it's best to just avoid answering their calls.

Gallery Credit: Nick Northern