Police Warn Locals About Green Dot MoneyPak, ATM Scams

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Police warn locals about scammers using Green Dot MoneyPak cards. (Image courtesy the NYPD)

Police in the 88th Precinct want locals to be on the lookout for telephone scammers using Green Dot MoneyPak cards – a reloadable debit card sold at pharmacies – to swindle New Yorkers out of thousands of dollars.

The con artists, who target the elderly and undocumented immigrants, call residents and say they owe thousands of dollars in back taxes or utility payments. The caller threatens to cut off the utilities, or even to arrest or deport victims, if they do not pay with a Green Dot MoneyPak card. Scammers then instruct victims to purchase a Green Dot MoneyPak card and call back with the serial number, which gives the thieves immediate access to the funds, according to the New York Police Department.

While the Green Dot MoneyPak scam have not been widely reported in the 88th Precinct, the fraud is becoming more prevalent city-wide, Sgt. Raymond Morales of the New York Police Department’s Crime Prevention Unin said at the 88th Precinct Community Council meeting last week.

The NYPD released a video in December warning about the scam.

The Internal Revenue Service and utility companies will not demand payment by Green Dot MoneyPak, Morales said.

Morales also warned of an uptick in ATM “skimming” in Brooklyn. Thieves will install hidden card readers and cameras to download bank account information and steal PINs. Two thieves were recently arrested in the 84th Precinct, which comprises Brooklyn Heights and Downtown Brooklyn, for ATM skimming, Morales said.

The fake card readers are often flimsily installed, said Morales, and a quick tug on the card reader before swiping is enough to break it. When entering a PIN, locals should cup their other hand over the keypad to shield it from view, he added.

Anyone who has information about these scams is encouraged to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477), submit tips online or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) and enter TIP577. Those with information can also call the 88th Precinct’s Detective Squad at (718) 636-6547.