PORT JERVIS, NY – At 94 years old, Ruben Willis (not his real name) of Port Jervis became a scam victim this fall. He lost $7,350, but thanks to the good instincts of a local business owner/authorized shipping agent, he was spared from losing an additional $26,900.
Willis, like many other victims of fraud, began receiving authentic-sounding phone calls, emails, mail requests, and instructions to collect prizes, specifically “money and a car” in his case. Willis was leery, and at first ignored the calls. However, when official-looking documents and details became specific and precise, he responded.
Willis is sharing his story in hopes of preventing others from falling for the same or other scams currently making the rounds.
The first call to Willis announced that he had won $1.5 million and a car. He had a certain amount of time to claim these prizes, according to this and additional calls, which became incessant. He was sent a bogus (but real-looking) Department of the Treasury – Internal Revenue Service Form W-2G and advised to hurry to pay taxes and fees on his winnings. He eventually responded.
“The first check I sent was for $2,850. The second one was $4,500,” said Willis, showing his personal notes and a stack of documents sent by the scammers. “I mailed two payments on my own through the mail. But when I went to send a package downtown, I was told that it was a scam.”
Willis had been instructed to mail his third payment, $19,600, via overnight FedEx transport. This was to be followed by another FedEx shipment of $10,000. Fortunately for Willis, when he went to Port’s downtown 41 Front Street FedEx Authorized Ship Center, The Gun Lady shop, owner Maria Mann’s antennas immediately went up.
Mann saw the package and its address, heard Willis’ story, and asked him to request the scammers to transmit documents to her fax, which they did.
Also, upon her advice, Willis had police respond to the shop.
Port Jervis Police officers responded to the shop and followed up in Willis’ home. They, the FBI, and other agencies have been involved in investigating this scam, and others that continue.
Despite not mailing additional packages, Willis’ callers did not stop. They messaged and called even as he was at the shipping location and, although less often, continue to call his home.
But from Willis there will be no more money sent.
“They call and I do not answer, or I hang up. No more,” Willis said.
Willis, who immigrated to the United States in 1966, has lived in Port Jervis over the past 55-years. He has enjoyed a good life with his family, neighbors, and friends. As a widower whose wife and only child have passed on, he has made the decision to return to family in his homeland. He had planned to do this before Covid-19, which temporarily halted his plans. Now allowed, his twin brother’s daughter, his niece, is staying with him and helping with his move.
Port Jervis Police Chief William Worden urges individuals to follow their gut instincts, and not to fall for scams like this one, which seem too good to be true.
“Scam artists use clever schemes to defraud tens of thousands of dollars from local residents. They use phone, e-mail, postal mail, and the Internet to cross geographic boundaries and trick victims into sending money through wire transfer, money order or gift cards or giving out personal information,” Worden warned. “Since January 1, 2021, the department has investigated 63 separate reports of frauds being perpetrated upon our local residents,”
Worden urges families to have ordinary conversations about daily life, which might bring up unusual phone calls or happenings. Knowledge and awareness of these types of schemes can help protect individuals from being a victim of fraud.
He passes along additional advice to protect against scams.
Scam Warnings and Advice
Wiring money is like sending cash, once it’s gone, you can’t get it back. Don’t wire money to strangers, or purchase gift cards to send to sellers who insist on wire transfers or gift cards for payment, or to someone who claims to be a relative in an emergency and wants to keep the request a secret.
Don’t send money, gift cards or money orders to someone you don’t know. This includes an online merchant or an online dating service. Do business with sites you trust. When buying items online, consider a payment option that provides protection, like a credit card. Do not send cash or use a wire service.
Never give personal or financial information whether the message comes as an email, a phone call, a text message or an ad. Con artists try to trick you into giving up your personal information.
Do not open text messages or emails from unknown persons.
Don’t play a foreign lottery. It’s easy to be tempted by messages that claim you have won or have enticing odds of winning. If you send money, you won’t get it back, regardless of the promises. It is also illegal to play foreign lotteries.
Don’t agree to deposit a check from someone you don’t know and then wire money back, no matter how convincing the story. By law, banks must make funds from deposited checks available within days, but uncovering a fake check can take weeks. You are responsible for the checks you deposit. When a check turns out to be a fake, it’s you who is responsible for paying back the bank.
Read your bills and monthly statements regularly on paper and online. If you see charges you don’t recognize or didn’t okay, contact your bank, card issuer, or other creditor immediately.
Give to an established charity rather than one that seems to have sprung up overnight. When a natural disaster or crisis occurs, pop-up charities are likely to arise and they could be collecting money to finance illegal activity.
Utility companies like Orange and Rockland, Frontier, Time Warner, Spectrum will not demand money over the phone. Do not send wire transfers of gifts cards period! These are warning signs of a scam.
Remember there’s no such thing as a sure thing. If someone contacts you promoting low-risk, high-return investment opportunities, stay away. When you hear pitches that insist you act now, guarantees of big profits, promises of little or no financial risk, or demands that you send cash immediately, report them to the FTC and your local police department.
Know where your offer comes from and who you are dealing with. Try to find a seller’s physical address (not just a P.O. box) and phone number. Look the company up on the Better Business Bureau at bbb.org.
Report the crime to your local police. Con artists count on their victim’s reluctance to admit they’ve been duped, but if you delay, you help them get away. Remember, if you never report the crime, they are free to cheat others again and again and you have no chance of ever getting your money back.
Trust your gut instinct. If it is too good to be true, it is too good to be true!
When in doubt, speak with a family member or trusted friend or call your local police. If you feel that you have been a victim of fraud, contact your local police department to file a complaint. In addition, you may file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at FTC.gov or call 1-877-382-4357.
