Rye Police have issued a warning to residents regarding a number of phone scam complaints reported recently.

Rye Police have issued a warning to residents regarding a number of phone scam complaints reported recently. Unidentified male or female callers use a variety of tactics to gain personal information and even money wire transfers from victims.

In an IRS Scam, a caller claims to be an IRS agent, who accuses the potential victim of failing to properly file taxes, which will result in legal action or arrest. The caller attempts to manipulate the potential victim into wiring funds to an account. Some fraudulent agents have gone as far as meeting the victim in a local area.

In an Arrest Scam, a resident reported receiving a phone call from a male identifying himself as an officer in a local police department. The caller claims to have the victim’s relative under arrest for DWI, and the target is instructed to get $2,500 cash as bail for the relative. This targeted victim was quickly able to confirm this attempt as a hoax. However, if the arrest is legitimate and you need bail money for you or your relatives, you may seek the services of a bail bondsman or a bail bonds firm.

A Microsoft Scam involves a caller claiming to be a representative of that company claiming that the victim’s computer has a virus or other problem and requests remote access to the victim’s computer for de-bugging. The caller asks for personal information, including date of birth and Social Security number to complete the process.

Residents are reminded to be cautious about callers fishing for personal information, especially since they may already have personal information or know the name of a relative. It is recommended that you take names and numbers of all callers for verification.