Yorktown Police Alert Public to ATM/IRS Phone Scams
The Yorktown Police Department is making the public aware of two scams in town that took place this month.
On October 7, an “ATM skimmer” was detected on an ATM machine at the 7-Eleven store on Commerce Street. An investigation revealed the device may have been on the ATM for as many as 10 days before being located.
Skimming devices usually contain a small camera that will record a pin code through a pinhole. Police advise customers to always place a hand above the keyboard when typing in a pin code on an ATM and recommend they check their credit reports to look for any fraudulent activity.
Meanwhile, police were also notified of a resident receiving a phony phone call from a criminal pretending the represent the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Somehow the criminal gained access to individuals who currently have an IRS lien placed against them, or are in a payment agreement with the IRS to settle back taxes.
The call involves a phony IRS agent telling the potential victim that “unless they wire money or send money packs to an address or web site to bring their account current, the Yorktown Police Department will be responding to make an arrest on the IRS’s behalf.”
Police remind residents to treat such calls with skepticism and immediately contact them with any information or questions.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
