How Did Scammers Take $5 Million From Staten Island, and How Can You Protect Your Family?

Scammers took roughly $5 million from Staten Island residents over the past year, and local officials have launched a public awareness campaign to slow the losses. According to ABC7, the Staten Island District Attorney, the Borough President and the NYPD announced the program, called Scambassador, at a press conference in late September.

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How much money have scammers taken from Staten Island residents?

According to ABC7, officials reported about $5 million in scam losses among Staten Island residents over the past year, including roughly $400,000 in a single recent week. Those are reported losses, so the real total is likely higher because many victims never come forward. Once money is lost to a scam it is rarely recovered, which is why officials are focused on prevention rather than recovery.

What is the Scambassador program?

Scambassador is a public awareness initiative announced in late September by the Staten Island District Attorney, the Borough President and the NYPD. It floods public spaces with warnings and educational materials, including streets, banks, restaurants and senior centers, so residents see the warning signs before a scammer reaches them. It is an education campaign, not a new law or a reimbursement fund, so it does not return money already lost.

Who is being targeted, and which scams are going around right now?

Seniors are hit hardest, but the District Attorney emphasized that people in their 20s, 30s and 40s are also falling victim. Recent schemes include convincing people to convert their life savings into gold bars, jewelry swap cons, and social media account hacks where the scammer uses the victim's own account to target their friends. The common thread is pressure to act fast and to move money in a way that is hard to trace or reverse.

What are the 3 rules that stop most scams?

First, slow down. Scams rely on panic and urgency, and legitimate banks and government agencies do not demand immediate action or threaten you. Second, watch the payment method. No legitimate person or agency will ask you to pay with gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, cash handed to a courier or gold, and any of those is a red flag for a scam. Third, verify independently. If someone claims to be your bank or a government agency, hang up and call the real number yourself, and never use the number or link they give you.

What should you do if you or a family member is targeted?

Talk to your parents, grandparents and other loved ones about these scams now, because a short conversation can prevent a devastating loss. If money has already moved, call your bank right away, since speed is the best chance of stopping a transfer. To report fraud, call 311, contact the Staten Island District Attorney's office, or file a report at reportfraud.ftc.gov. This is general consumer safety information, not legal or financial advice.

What does this mean for Staten Island and Brooklyn homeowners?

Real estate fraud is part of the same landscape, and Staten Island recently saw an arrest tied to a foreclosure rescue scam. Homeowners in Staten Island and Brooklyn who are behind on a mortgage are prime targets for offers that promise to save the house for an upfront fee, and legitimate housing counselors do not charge that way. Owners can also sign up for the free ACRIS Notification Service from the NYC Department of Finance, which sends an alert when a document such as a deed or mortgage is recorded against their property. Neither step guarantees protection, but both make deed theft and rescue scams much harder to pull off quietly.

Questions about how this affects your home in Staten Island or Brooklyn? Work with Joseph Ranola, or text or call (917) 905-2541. New episodes of Daily Tesla News break down the NYC real estate stories that move the market.