Staten Island officials on Wednesday announced a new campaign aimed at helping seniors protect themselves from scams, citing a rise in fraud schemes targeting New Yorkers.<\/p>\n
Recent scams have included jewelry swap schemes and scams in which criminals convince seniors to convert their life savings into gold bars. New Brighton resident Diana Torres said she became aware of the dangers after her Facebook page was hacked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe person that stole my page was contacting other people and trying to scam them as well,” Diana Torres, New Brighton resident, said.<\/p>\n
During a Wednesday morning news conference, the Staten Island district attorney, borough president and NYPD outlined scams reported over the past year and introduced the new \u201cScambassador\u201d program, an awareness campaign designed to educate residents and help prevent fraud.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere will be lawn signs out. There will be fliers in our banks, in our diners, every institution, bowling alley, everywhere we can get. Our senior centers, of course, are shopping centers. And we will continue to get that word out,” Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon said.<\/p>\n
Officials said the program was launched in response to a spike in scams targeting seniors. According to officials, scams involving seniors resulted in losses of about $5 million over the past year, including $400,000 reported last week alone.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe epidemic is massive. It’s people in their 20s, 30s, 40s. They’re they’re falling victims as well,” McMahon said.<\/p>\n
Law enforcement officials said public awareness remains one of the most effective tools for combating many types of scams.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe vast majority go unresolved, which is why it becomes even more paramount and more important that folks know at the outset,” Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella said.<\/p>\n
Officials said they are seeking to recruit community partners to serve as \u201cScambassadors\u201d and help spread information intended to prevent more seniors from becoming victims of fraud.<\/p>\n
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