Warren County warns of scammers impersonating ‘prize officials’ asking for money

WARREN COUNTY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Warren County Sheriff’s Office put out a warning Tuesday on a new string of phone scams reported by residents around the county.

The office described a pattern where scammers call themselves “prize officials,” asking for money in exchange for a prize the victim is told they have won. Others represent themselves as government officials or family members, asking for money.

Calls have included requests to pick up money from victims’ houses.

Warren County asks residents to never wire money, share bank account and credit card info or share any other financial or personal information with strangers over the phone. They also advise against purchasing gift or credit cards and sharing those cards’ information by phone, another common type of scam.

Scammers also create fake names and phone numbers to disguise their identities, or may “spoof” a phone number so that it looks like someone else’s.

Suspected scams and fraud should be reported to local police, or to Warren County at (518) 743-2500.

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