State Police are warning Capital District residents about a telephone scam targeting the elderly.
According to police, scammers are “cold calling” people claiming to be a member of a police department and telling people that a grandson has been arrested. The scammer tells the person that a court is requiring a large sum of money for bail, but that it won’t accept checks or credit cards. Instead, the person is instructed to buy Apple iTunes cards in the amount of the “bail.” The scammer then calls back later and asks the person to read the numbers from the back of the purchased cards. If the person complies, the scammer calls again and demands another sum of money in the same form for additional “bail.”
Police added that the scammer is using the name “Sergeant Davis” and is claiming affiliation with a Capital District police agency.
State Police remind citizens to always know who they are talking to. Police agencies do accept pre-arraignment bail, but only at the police station, where a receipt is issued and the money is forwarded to a court. Police agencies and courts will never ask for bail in the form of retail funds, such as iTunes cards.