The Honolulu Police Department is warning the public to beware of scams targeting senior citizens at their homes.

Lt. John McCarthy, head of HPD’s financial crimes detail, said in a press conference Thursday there have been three incidents within three weeks two this week in which scammers have appeared at the victims’ homes.

In one case an elderly woman was notified by a West Coast caller that her grandson, who lives on the East Coast, had been involved in a car accident and that drugs were found in the vehicle. The caller twice asked for money to help the grandson, and the woman complied both times, McCarthy said.

The victim was then contacted by a male claiming to represent a Canadian law firm assisting the grandson. He instructed the victim to purchase a cashier’s check for "a large amount." That night, a middle-age man came to her home to pick it up. In all, the woman paid the scammers more than $200,000.

"If it’s a grandma scam,’ check on your relative," McCarthy said. "Confirm before you give any money." Also, police advised to never give out your address to strangers.

McCarthy said he doesn’t know how these scammers are getting information on their targets. Social media is a possibility, but HPD investigations concluded that not all of the victims were using social media.

He added that scams are becoming more complex in that swindlers are able to disassociate themselves from the scam by having people act as intermediaries.

"It lessens the likelihood that (the scammer is) going to get caught and increases the chances that he’s going to be successful in getting his money," McCarthy said.

HPD asks that anyone who has been scammed should call police immediately. The sooner HPD knows, the better chance the money can be recovered, McCarthy said.