BATAVIA, N.Y. — There has been a recent increase of phone scams targeted toward elderly people, according to New York State Police.
Police say the scam involves a few different scenarios that New Yorkers should be aware of. One of the scenarios includes a caller claiming to be a family member who was arrested or has an illness. Police say this caller will put urgency on helping them and will also advise the person they're speaking with should not contact other family members.
Another scenario includes a caller who claims to be a law enforcement official saying a family member is under arrest and will demand bail or funds. New York State Police are reminding residents that police agencies do not contact family for bail money.
Police say the caller in both scenarios will ask the victim to get a specific amount of money and buy gift cards from popular big retail stores such as Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, Target. Once the victim acquires the gift card, they're then told to call a number and read the gift card identification number.
If you receive a call that you think is a scam, police say no matter how dramatic the story is, you should resist the urge to act immediately. Police also advise that you should verify the caller's identity by asking questions that a stranger wouldn't know the answer to. You should also check with another family member to see if the claim is true.
Another thing to keep in mind if you think a call is a scam: never send cash, gift cards or money transfers. Police say once scammers receive the payment that money is gone.
Police are also asking New Yorkers to take the time to explain this scam to the elderly people in their families so they know to be aware of this.
