Buffalo Township’s police chief witnessed three people recover their money after almost falling victim to scams in the last two months, the most he’s seen in his 27-year career.

Now, the Buffalo Township Police Department and Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General are teaming up to educate the public on scams and drug awareness at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, at Zion Methodist Church, 438 Bear Creek Road in Buffalo Township.

“We’ve had three actual victims who were able to get their money back,” Chief Tim Derringer said.

The three who were almost victims were attempting to send sums of $27,000, $15,000 and $13,000, along with miscellaneous items to scammers who had hacked their devices, but they were flagged by a South Pike Postal and Notary employee.

The community discussion Saturday aims to teach people how to avoid scams like these.

“The biggest scams that we’re dealing with right now are mostly elderly victims,” Derringer said. “It’s just becoming a huge problem.”

Derringer said community members should always consult someone else before sending money in the mail and they should avoid opening emails or text messages from unknown sources requesting money. He said scammers will also often claim the victim has won a lottery, impersonate the police or claim they or a family member may be arrested if they do not pay.

“Scammers are getting more and more intelligent with AI,” Derringer said.

He said the attorney general’s portion of the presentation will largely focus on indicators parents and grandparents to watch for regarding their children and drug activity. It will also explain the types of drugs police frequently encounter and that they’re often laced with fentanyl.