yourdailylocal
BATAVIA, NY – The New York State Police are warning the public about a recent increase in scams.
In just a few weeks of 2023, the Bureau of Criminal Investigation in WNY is seeing an increase in high-volume scams. These scams include a few different scenarios:
- The caller claimed to be a family member with an illness or was arrested. This caller will put urgency on helping them and not 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 for important information to “verify” the identity of the person they are calling, getting the victim’s information including Social Security number 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, or Netflix account has been “compromised” and needs immediate attention.
Police agencies do not:
- Contact families for bail money
- Ask for money to fix Social Security numbers or bank accounts
- Send text messages asking for account information as part of an investigation.
The caller in most scenarios will advise the victim to get a specific amount of money in multiple ways including:
- Purchasing gift cards from popular stores such as Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, Target, and other big retail stores and then reading over the phone to the caller or sending the bar code on the back of the gift card to the caller. These gift card increments could be anywhere from $50-$500.
- Sending cash by mail in a box packaged a certain way the caller will explain, usually wrapped in tinfoil or heavily taped package.
- Purchasing Bitcoin or Crypto Currency with a QR code provided by the caller.
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 accurate.
- 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.
