Hawaii County police issued a warning today about a telephone scam that appears to be targeting elderly people. 

The caller claims to be a relative and says he or she is in trouble in another state or country and needs money to get out of jail. To make the claim seem more believable, the caller may use the first name of the person answering the phone or of other family members. The caller asks to have money sent, usually by Western Union or a similar service. 

Police caution the public to verify a caller’s claims before sending any money and to never give any personal information to anyone over the phone. Many of these scams originate from foreign countries, making recovery of stolen money very difficult.