There are two local scams that have gotten the attention of state law enforcement.
The first involves a public donation scam, which resulted in New York State Police issuing a warning that they do not solicit donations by phone.
According to troopers, a person with a 607 area code is contacting people, asking for money on behalf of law enforcement. However, they aren’t cops, nor do law enforcement entities seek donations like that.
State police says that if you receive one of these calls – don’t give any personal information.
But that’s not all. Tax season isn’t that far away – and scams related to the IRS are increasing.
The agency issued a warning recently of dramatic threats in text and phone message scams. They’ve dubbed them ‘smishing’ attacks. It’s basically a combination of the terms phishing and SMS.
You’ve probably received these messages before. They indicate that you’re going to face steep consequences if you don’t click on the link or provide the information the texter is asking for.
Experts spoke with News10NBC said watching for four red flags is important.
First off, remember that just like in the state police warned scam, no state or federal taxing agency is going to contact you via text message.
Most importantly, if you see a link – don’t click on it. Delete the message or report it to the authority being impersonated.
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