Sudbury Police Issue New Warning As Scams Continue To Rise

SUDBURY, MA — Amid a striking rise in scam attempts, Sudbury police are warning residents to be on alert — and to help spread the word seniors who are often targeted by fraudsters.

In 2020, the department has received on average 30 calls per week reporting scams. In 2019, the department averaged about one call per week.

Police are in the process of investigating a recent case where a Sudbury senior was bilked out of $25,000 after a scammer called and pretended to be a relative in distress.

Sudbury residents have also been the target of an unemployment scam that has been circulating since new benefits went into place during the pandemic. Residents across the state have been targeted by that scam.

And this week, a 33-year-old Lynn man was sentenced to a year in federal prison for taking part in a scam targeting seniors. Fortune Aikorogie helped transfer money from bank accounts of seniors who were convinced that they were in a romantic relationship with a scammer, according to prosecutors.

"Though any person or business can be a victim, we are especially concerned for the wellbeing of our tenured population," police wrote in a Facebook post Friday. "Please help us spread the message to our parents and grandparents that if something seems too good to be true, or if large sums of money must be wired or mailed 'immediately,' encourage them to pause and call the loved one or the police."