Police Warn of Phone Scam in Western Finger Lakes

State Police are warning of a phone scam targeting portions of the Western Finger Lakes.

People in the Canandaigua and Rochester areas are receiving calls where the caller claims to be a trooper investigating them for drug crimes. The caller then asks for personal information and ultimately money.

The State Police want to remind you that they do not solicit money or demand personal information over the phone.

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The New York State Police offer the following tips to protect against the 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.