66th Precinct Commander Warns About New Twist To Scam Hitting Locals

Last night in his report at Community Board 12’s monthly meeting, 66th Precinct commander Deputy Inspector Michael Deddo told the audience about the newest twist in the Green Dot MoneyPak Card scam, which has hit four local precincts since January.

The grifters working the 66th Precinct have targeted the Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities, Deddo says. To alert them, the precinct has been handing out flyers at local mosques and delis outlining how the scam works. Now when a stranger calls saying the only way to clear up one’s back debt to utilities or the IRS is to purchase a Green Dot MoneyPak Card and give the caller its serial number, the mark wants reassurance, since he’s read the police warning.

Now, to convince the mark the call is legit, the scammer tells his victim to check with the 66th, and gives him “the 66th Precinct detective’s phone number,” Deddo explains. Of course this “detective” encourages him to buy the Green Dot MoneyPak Card and pass its ID number, hidden under the silver scratch-off, on to the scammer. With that number the scammer can empty the card of all its money. In two recent cases in the 66th, Deddo says one victim lost $7,500 and another close to $1,000.

In other comments: The commander says he stayed up watching the NYC Council hearings on Mayor de Blasio’s Vision Zero plan. This is not a totally new concept to the NYPD, Deddo says, now that traffic deaths exceed shooting deaths. Officer Matthew Cronin, a traffic specialist, and Sergeant Lesley Charles have been assigned to monitor the new traffic hotline and the traffic. So far this year, the precinct has had no traffic fatalities and 50% fewer injuries than last year. Its citations for “failure to yield” are up 30%. For the moment, the precinct is placing its chips on education, not decoys, to reduce collisions.

A word to the wise: In April, the 66th Precinct will hold its monthly Community Council meeting in a Chinese restaurant at 8th Avenue and 56th Street. Details to come. It could be fun — and delicious!