New Scam In New York State Is Targeting Elderly People Using ATMs – Watch

Thieves are using a new scam to rob elderly people using ATMs in New York State. Police have released a video to show older New Yorkers how the scam works. There are two types of people I absolutely hate (and yes, I know hate is a strong word) - people who abuse animals and people who target the vulnerable. Many elderly people are trusting and not as suspicious of people as I am. That makes them easy targets for unscrupulous criminals who take full advantage of their trustfulness. It's despicable. If you call yourself tough, why are you targeting someone who is unlikely to fight back? Really tough people go toe-to-toe with other tough people, period. But, I digress. Let's take a look at this new scam.

The really unfortunate part of this scam is that the criminal pretends to be a good Samaritan. Here's how the scam works:

The thief waits behind the "target" at an ATM. Waiting for the right moment, they drop a dollar bill on the ground. Then they tap the victim, pointing to the bill, in a "supposed" act of kindness. Then, as the elderly person bends down to pick up the bill, they snatch the victim's ATM card and quickly leave. The NYPD released a video of how the scam works, which you can check out below.

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There is a hotline for elderly people who believe they have been a victim of elder fraud. Call the National Elder Fraud Hotline 833–FRAUD–11 or 833–372–8311, Monday–Friday, 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Eastern time.