Peekskill Police: 2-Part Scam Costs Victim $1,300

Officials with the City of Peekskill Police Department are warning residents of a recently reported "fake loan scam" that left one man short $1,300.

Here's how officials described what happened:

Last week a victim was contacted via phone from a gentleman claiming to be representative from an out of state bank. This gentleman advised the victim that they had been pre-approved for a loan and instructed the victim to go to a store that sold “MoneyPak” cards and to have $500.00 placed on it. This $500.00 was alleged to be the “closing costs” for the loan application/approval 
paperwork. 

Once the “MoneyPak” card was purchased the victim was instructed to contact the bank representative and give him the numbers associated with the card so he could withdraw the money and start the loan process. The victim was told the loan funds would be deposited directly into their bank account. 

The money was immediately withdrawn and no funds were deposited into the victims account. 

This scam went one step further with the “bank representative” contacting the victim the next day to inquire if the loan funds had been received. When the victim stated they had not been received, the “bank representative” informed the victim that it was due to “bad credit” and that they had to pay a “bad credit fee” in the amount of $800.00 in order for the loan to go through and that payment should be handled in the same manner as the application/approval fee, with the use of a “MoneyPak” card.

Folks should be "extremely wary" of any type of loan inquiry or package over the phone, and of anyone who asks for a fee in regards to claiming a prize, according to authorities. They advise against sharing any bank account numbers or MoneyPak numbers.

"If it doesn’t make sense, or seems the slightest bit questionable, call your local police department and ask questions," Peekskill Police said.