Pennsylvania State Police, FBI warn scams on the rise

Pennsylvania State Police and the FBI say $12.5 billion is lost nationwide as a result of scams, with thousands of victims right here in Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth ranks sixth for total loss, coming in at $363.3 million. While statistics show that those over the age of 60 lose the most money, state police say all ages are affected.

“We know these criminals are robbing people of their hard-earned money and their sense of security,” said Kevin Rojek, FBI special agent in charge.

Experts said skimmers are a growing problem. They’ve been around since 2002, but with more venues only offering cash-free payment, more people are falling victim. Skimmers and “shimmers” are used to steal data from either the magnetic stripe or chip on your debit or credit card. They can be found on a point-of-sale terminal or ATM and are easy to replicate, since each has their own make and model number.

State police showed us a device found on a self-checkout kiosk in a major grocery store chain here in southwestern Pennsylvania, and the red flags to check for.

“This goes over top of the original system. So it’s going to look a little more bulky. They might have glue or wires sticking out. If it doesn’t look right, and I’m just talking about a gentle pull…there’s nothing on this that’s going to hold this down really hard,” said Trooper Rocco Gagliardi, PIO for PSP Troop B. “At this point, tapping to pay is the newer feature kind of limit that process.”

Experts say top scams in our area involve gift cards, bank accounts, social media, law enforcement and fake emails or texts. Law enforcement officers said it’s best to crosscheck the information with the source.

“If your bank contacts you, and you’re not sure if it’s your bank or not…get off the call, then look up a known number you have for the bank…call the bank yourself to verify the information,” Rojek said.

If you’d like a free presentation for your organization, reach out to Trooper Gagliardi by emailing him at rogagliard@pa.gov.

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