The commander of the Suffolk Police Second Precinct reminded residents this week to watch out for telephone scams.
The department issued a warning recently about calls being made by people claiming some harm or legal problem has happened to a relative of the intended victim. In some cases, victims are told that a relative has been kidnapped or jailed.
But Insp. Edward Brady emphasized the need for caution during a community meeting this week in Huntington.
He said he knew of six residents who had received suspect calls. The intended victims get a call from someone claiming to be a lawyer representing a relative who’s been arrested. The caller insists that the resident wire $3,000 to assist the relative. Of the six calls, Brady said, two had wired money before realizing they had been tricked.
He said recipients should be careful to not accidentally reveal any information. In one case, a victim was told that her grandson had been arrested and she responded, “My grandson, Michael?” He also said that victims should immediately try to determine the whereabouts of their relatives to put worries to rest, and to contact police about the call.
