Overview

• Letitia James issued a statewide alert detailing a three-phase con that begins with a call, text, email, or pop-up urging targets to contact customer support.
• Victims are instructed to download remote-access software, allowing scammers to view accounts and identify where the most money is held.
• Follow-up callers impersonate banks and then federal agencies, pressuring victims to move funds under the guise of protecting hacked accounts.
• Transfers are pushed through wires, cash, or cryptocurrency, and scammers may send letters with fake government insignia to bolster credibility.
• Officials, including the FBI and Long Island police units, urge people—especially those 60 and older—to avoid unknown links and numbers, refuse remote access, and report cases to the New York AG’s office or local police.