NEW YORK (WETM) – Scams, scams, scams. They’re everywhere, and police are once again reminding New Yorkers to keep their guard up for a new NYSP impersonation scam.
New York State Police Troop E out of Canandaigua issued a warning that a phone scam is making rounds through the Troop E area (which includes the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes) in which the scammer pretends to be a State Trooper. According to NYSP, the scammer says they are investigating you for drug crimes and asks for personal information and money.
NYSP said that the agency will never ask for money or information over the phone. In response to this latest phone scam, state police provided the following list of tips to protect yourself against these kids of scams:
- Take a pause. Scammers create a sense of urgency to prey on victims’ emotions and their love for family members.
- Verify any supposed emergency by calling friends and family before sending money. This is especially important if a potential victim has been warned not to do so by the caller.
- If the caller purports to be a bail bondsperson, ask where the relative is being held and contact the facility directly.
- If the caller purports to be a law enforcement officer, get the exact agency name, hang up, and call that department directly.
- Be suspicious of anyone who calls unexpectedly asking to be sent money.
- Never send cash through the mail.
- Never purchase pre-paid debit cards or gift cards for the purpose of transferring money.
- Develop a secret code or “password” with family members that can be used to verify the identity of family members over the phone.
- Ask a question that only the real family member would know the answer to, such as “what was the name of your first pet?”
- Set Facebook and other social media settings to private to limit information available to scammers, such as the names of relatives.
