NEW YORK (WKBW) — New York State police have issued a warning to the public on a recent increase in scams.
According to police, to this point in 2023 the Bureau of Criminal Investigation in WNY has seen an increase in high-volume scams that include different scenarios:
- The caller claiming to be a family member and has an illness or was arrested. This caller will put urgency on helping them and not to contact other family.
- The caller claims to be a law enforcement official with a family member under arrest demanding bail or funds for them.
- The caller claims to be law enforcement claiming that your Social Security Number or Bank Accounts have been “compromised”. The caller will ask important information to “verify” the identity of the person they are calling, getting the victims information including SS# and bank account numbers.
- Emails or texts with an URGENT message stating that your Social Security number, bank account, cable provider, Apple account, Amazon account, Netflix account has been “compromised” and needs immediate attention.
NYSP provided the following tips if you receive a call you believe to be a scam:
- RESIST the urge to act immediately- no matter how dramatic the story is.
- VERIFY the caller’s identity- Ask questions that a stranger couldn’t answer. Check with a family member to see if the information is true.
- DO NOT send cash, gift cards or money transfers. Once the scammer gets the money, it’s gone!
- DO NOT give your personal banking account information by email or over the phone OR log into bank accounts as directed by the caller (Screen Mirroring).
- If you have parents or elderly people in your family, take the time to explain these scams to them.
