CUMBERLAND COUNTY — Upper Allen Township Police are warning residents of a phone and computer scam that’s been reported throughout the township.
“The scam usually begins with a phone call from an 888 area code number,” police said in a news release. “The scammers claim they are from a tech support company and will attempt to get remote access to the person’s computer.”
If successful, the scammer will appear to deposit money into the person’s bank account — they’re actually taking a cash advance on either a credit card of the person or a linked overdraft account and transferring it, according to police.
The scammer then claims that they made a mistake and overpaid, and asks the person to purchase thousands of dollars of gift cards from various stores to recoup the overpayment, police stated.
“The person is then instructed to provide the gift card number and the scratched off PIN to the scammer over the phone, who instantly redeems it,” police added in the release.
Police note that most of the victims being targeted are senior citizens.
Anyone with concerns or have been victimized by the scam should contact Upper Allen Township Police at 717-795-2445.
