New York State Police issue scam alert

A warning from the New York State Police: beware of scams targeting older people.

The scams include a few different scenarios.

The callers are claiming to be a family member and may have an illness or may have been arrested.

The caller will put urgency on helping them and not to contact other family, or the caller claims to be law enforcement, saying your Social Security number or bank accounts have been "compromised".

The caller would ask personal information to "verify" the identity.

Remember, that police agencies do not contact family for bail money. They will not ask for money to fix social security number or bank accounts.

So, what do you do when you receive such a call?

• Resist the urge to act immediately, no matter how dramatic the story is.
• Verify the caller’s identity. Ask questions that a stranger could not answer.
• Do not send cash or gift cards to them.
• Do not give out your personal information.