05/24/2026
SARATOGA COUNTY, N.Y. (May 19, 2026) – A Sheriff’s Office investigator and a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent recently conducted a welfare check of an elderly resident in the town of Moreau after it was discovered that she had attempted to ship $20,000 hidden in books to an address in California.
When the elderly resident answered the door, she appeared to be distressed and told the law enforcement officers she was expecting to get picked up by a friend. She asked the investigators if she could speak with them later.
The investigator and special agent noticed the woman had a cellular phone at her side and that she appeared to be on a live call. They quietly advised the woman that they believed she was being scammed and the victim informed them that someone was coming to pick up $20,000 in cash from her at any moment. She explained that she had received a notification through her email regarding a PayPal account charge for a purchase she had not made and contacted the number on the email to rectify the situation.
The scammers – posing as PayPal employees – convinced the woman to download a remote access app on her computer and mobile phone – which allowed them to view and change things on her computer and see through her web camera – and convinced her that they had mistakenly given her too much money when refunding the bogus purchase.
As a result, they convinced the victim to ship $20,000 hidden in books to California, as well as drive to a virtual cryptocurrency machine in Massachusetts where she was directed to deposit $20,000. Luckily, that transaction could not be completed, and the victim drove back home.
After the failed cryptocurrency purchase attempt, the scammers arranged for a courier to come pick up $20,000 from the woman’s residence. Fortunately, this plan fell apart because of the Sheriff’s Office and HSI’s prompt response and commitment to preventing fraud and swiftly contacting victims to prevent loss.
It was later discovered that the courier had shown up soon after the arrival of the investigator and special agent and left the area before being detected. The investigation is ongoing.
This case is just one example of the fraudulent activity targeting our elderly residents. The Sheriff’s Office and HSI are committed to preventing citizens from becoming victims and this is just one example of how the partnership has disrupted fraudulent activity in Saratoga County.
Last month alone our joint efforts were able to intercept and return over $433,000 in stolen scam funds to two residents of Saratoga County. This includes a $245,000 wire transfer being sent from a resident of Halfmoon to what they believed was a title company, and a $188,000 bank teller check being sent from a resident of Clifton Park to what they believed was the Federal Trade Commission. In both cases the scams were foiled, and the funds were recovered and returned to the victims.
In the coming months, several community outreach programs educating the residents of Saratoga County will be occurring throughout the county presented jointly by the Sheriff’s Office and HSI. Currently we have scheduled the following:
•Wednesday June 24, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at the Halfmoon Senior Center, 287 Lower Newtown Road, Waterford.
•Tuesday June 30, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at the Clifton Park Elks Lodge, 695 MacElroy Road, Ballston Lake.
Please stay tuned for additional course locations. PayPal is not suspected to have been involved in, associated with or affiliated with the scam described herein in any way.
