ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Lifespan of Greater Rochester, a nonprofit that provides advocacy and services for elderly adults, says it's seen a marked increase in scams targeting people over the age of 65 since the COVID-19 pandemic.

President and CEO Ann Marie Cook believes it's the result of several factors including society's increased reliance on the internet.

"More older adults are online and some of them have not had the appropriate education on being aware of these scams of what can happen but I do attribute a lot of it to this loneliness and isolation that some older adults experience," she said.

Cook said on average, the people they deal with are losing $10,000, and some much more. She said most don't know there are government funds available to recoup some of their losses.

"We're the ones informing them about this compensation amount. We're the ones trying to help them in filling out these forms," Cook said.

Currently, elderly and disabled scam victims in New York can submit up to 25 claims at a base level reimbursement of $100 through the state Office of Victims Services. As part of her State of the State initiatives, Gov. Kathy Hochul is proposing increasing that cap to $2,500.

"We can't meet everybody's needs all the time but I think what this is about is let's get closer to that and let's really try to reduce the financial and the impact that crime and violence have on people as much as we possibly can," Office of Victims Services Director Bea Hanson said.

Hanson said the funding pool for compensation comes from federal fine and fees supplemented by $100 million from the state for each of the next three years.

"We're the payer of last resort so if somebody has something has happened to them but insurance will pay for it, we ask for insurance to pay for it but if there's a deductible or a copay or something, we can pay for it. So it's basically, if you don't have other financial resources to get it, we can be that resource," she said.

Cook is commending the governor for proposing more compensation but believes the state needs to put more money toward education as well.

"I don't go to a meeting or a presentation, I always mention scams, without having almost every person in the audience telling me they've either been a victim or almost were a victim of a scam," Cook said.

The governor also wants to increase the cap the office can pay for the cost of burial and funeral from $6,000 to $12,000 and eliminate the requirement to consider contributing conduct. Currently conduct that could have contributed to a crime victims' death, for instance having a gun on them, can reduce the amount OVS can provide, but advocates argue family members are left with the same loss and costs, regardless.