Middletown police warn of scam targeting elderly

Middletown police are warning residents of a scam that is targeting the elderly.

“We’ve had reports of … scammers calling residents in Middletown claiming to be the police or courts and telling them that their children or grandchildren have been put in jail for a crime and to get them out they need to give them a credit card number over the phone or buy store gift cards and give them those numbers,” Middletown police posted to their Facebook page Tuesday.

“People have given them the credit card numbers and have had money stolen from their accounts. They seem to be preying on the good hearts of the elderly,” police said in the post.

Officers are reminding residents never to give card numbers over the phone, and police and the courts never solicit bail money over the phone by asking for a credit or gift card number.

“It’s sad that these people feel the need to take advantage of good people,” the post says.

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