County Executive Ed Day Warns About Imposter Scams During Holiday Season

By Idy Perl

As the holiday season comes upon us and sales start to abound, Rockland County Executive Ed Day & Office of Consumer Protection Director Kimberly Von Ronn are issuing an urgent warning to residents about reports of imposter scams being on the rise during the holiday season.

Imposter scams are when criminals pretend to be someone else to convince victims to give them money or divulge personal information. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that victims lost $752 million to business imposters in 2023 and $618 million to government impersonation scams.  

“Scammers are particularly active during the holidays, preying on the goodwill and urgency of this time of year,” County Executive Ed Day said. “As a former police commander, I urge everyone to remain vigilant and take precautions to protect themselves and their loved ones.”

Imposter scams often involve:

• Phony Family Emergencies: Scammers pose as relatives or friends in distress, requesting immediate financial assistance via gift cards, wire transfers, or digital payment apps.
• Fake Charities: Fraudsters claim to represent charitable organizations and ask for donations.
• Government or Business Impersonation: Scammers pretend to be IRS agents, law enforcement officers, or representatives from utility companies, threatening consequences like arrest or service disconnection if payments are not made.
• Online Shopping Scams: Fraudulent websites offering holiday deals that do not deliver goods or services.

The Rockland County Office of Consumer Protection offers these tips to safeguard against scams:

• If someone claims to be a family member or friend, ask questions only they would know the answers to.
• Legitimate organizations will not ask for payment via gift cards or wire transfers.
• Be cautious of unsolicited calls or messages demanding immediate action or payment and do not click links in unsolicited messages, navigate to the website of interest directly.
• Only shop on secure websites with "https://" in the URL and avoid unfamiliar sellers.

Residents who have been targeted or fallen victim of a scam should either report it to authorities or to our Office of Consumer Protection at (845) 364-3901 or by email at [email protected].