Yorktown Police

Chief warns of scams

PD encourages community to discuss prevalance

Yorktown Police Department patch displayed on a uniform sleeve.

Photo: Miranda Ferrante

Posted Tuesday, October 21, 2025 1:50 pm

Most common scams that YPD have investigated

Tech Support Scams: These occur when a message pops up on a computer or arrives via email claiming the device has a virus or another problem that requires remote access to fix. Payment is typically requested, and once access is granted, scammers often obtain passwords and other sensitive information.

Phishing Scams: These involve emails, texts, or pop-up messages that appear to come from legitimate companies but are designed to trick individuals into revealing personal or financial information.

Government Impersonation: In these scams, perpetrators pose as officials from agencies such as the IRS, Social Security Administration, or law enforcement, demanding immediate payment or personal details to avoid a fabricated threat, such as arrest.

Grandparent Scams: Although these have become less common, scammers in the past have posed as grandchildren or relatives in distress, seeking money urgently. Authorities continue to remind residents that if something seems too good—or too bad—to be true, it almost always is.

Romance Scams: Scammers use fake online profiles to build trust and form relationships with victims before requesting money for fabricated emergencies.

Telemarketing Scams: These typically involve individuals falsely claiming to represent charities or law enforcement organizations to solicit donations.

BY MIRANDA FERRANTE

Staff Reporter

YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, N.Y. —The Yorktown Police Department is warning residents about scams targeting seniors and other vulnerable members of the community.

Chief of Police Robert Noble is urging the public to look out for one another.

“One of the things we’re seeing in this and surrounding communities is that people are being scammed out of their hard-earned savings every day,” Noble said. “Many times, the scammer who comes to your door to pick up money is a lower level courier—not the big fish or mastermind that we are looking to ultimately arrest. Often the criminal mastermind is overseas, so they’re not here for us to bring to justice.”

He made an impassioned plea for residents to discuss the prevalence of scams—both locally and globally—to help protect one another, especially senior citizens.

“We all have family and friends that we love, and some of them may be a little more vulnerable than others,” he said. “If they are, if there is somebody coming through their computer with a popup saying that they have a computer virus, or that their bank accounts have been compromised, or they receive a phone call that a relative has been kidnapped—you’re problem is only beginning if you engage with these scammers. We need to speak with our family and friends about this on the regular, so that we can limit the opportunities for bad actors to succeed.”

He emphasized the importance of having conversations about these scams and share the information widely.

“Lord knows, we remind everyone in the community to lock their car doors, lock their house doors to prevent against being a victim of crime. With the proliferation of scams, you need to have the mindset of being a cynic. If your doctor gives you bad news, believe them or look for a second opinion,” he said. “If you receive a random phone call, email, or computer pop up with bad news, get a second opinion—call your local police department or a trusted family member.”

He said the community needs to look out for one another, and that starts by talking to people. Noble encouraged residents to have open conversations, reminding them to warn others not to send money to anyone who contacts them online or over the phone asking for it.

“Please, as a community, we need to look out for each other and that starts with having positive conversations about personal safety and financial safety,” he said.