To help prevent members of our community from falling victim to scams, the Rochester Police want to share two scams that have been reported in the last 24 hours.

1. PayPal scam – Someone deposited a penny—one cent—into a PayPal account, and someone posing as PayPal sent a link for the recipient to “accept” the penny in order for a transaction to be completed. It was presented as an overage charge that was supposedly being refunded. The one-cent deposit was real; however, the phone number and link attached to the notification were not and were sent by the scammer. Before calling any numbers or clicking on any links in the notification, the person wisely called PayPal using the toll-free number on their card, and we were able to confirm it was a scam and the transaction was cancelled. DO NOT accept money, click on links, or call numbers that you are unsure of. Do your research. Don’t click on anything in the message if you are uncertain, and don’t call any numbers listed in the message if you are uncertain.

2. Amazon recall scam – A person received a text message from a scammer posing as Amazon. The message stated that an item from a recent order was being recalled for not meeting safety standards. The text did not specify which item but referenced an order number that could be clicked on, as well as a phone number to call. Again, the person wisely did not click on the order or call the number. Instead, they logged into their own account and reviewed their prior orders. They did not find any order number matching the one in the text. They also confirmed that none of their past orders showed any mention of recalls or flags, and their account had no notifications. This was good research on their part—verifying the information before clicking on anything in the message or calling any numbers provided.

Remember, scammers make things look and sound real to get you to click on links or call numbers they provide. Think twice, do your research, and be smart before falling victim to these types of scams.