Tag: scammers

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Holiday Scams Hit Rural Residents, too

holiday scams
Holiday Scams are something we have to keep an eye out for this year, especially if you have elderly relatives. The elderly are one of the most vulnerable segments of rural America.

Holiday scams. I really hate that this is something we need to think about, even in rural America. The holidays are a prime time for scammers to do their business. Be vigilant. If someone is asking for your private information, such as a social security number, and you didn’t initiate the call, do NOT give out any information. Period.

I got a call last summer from the “Social Security Administration,” who said someone had used my social security number for “nefarious purposes.” Well, guess what? As a long-time member of the media, I’ve done multiple stories on scams and knew better than to answer when he wanted me to confirm my social security number. At that point, I was already running a tape of the call and as soon as they found out, it was CLICK. End of phone call.

Online purchasing makes holiday shopping easier for rural residents, but it doesn’t make shopping more secure. Cyber holiday scams are rampant during this time of year. Sean Voskuhl, AARP State Director for Oklahoma, says you should stay vigilant when shopping online during the holidays, and throughout the year.

When ordering holiday items online, Voskuhl says, make sure the website you are purchasing from is reputable, and take proper precautions when purchasing gift cards to avoid holiday scams.

Finally, with many in the mood to give back this holiday season, he says make sure your donations are going to a worthy cause.

AARP offers year-round tips on this topic, and others of interest to rural America. Learn more holiday scam tips online by visiting the Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org or watch Thursday night at 9 pm Central Time on RFD-TV.

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Scam phone calls are picking up again

This is a scam alert.

I was at my desk the other day and missed a phone call. Thinking it may have been a potential interview subject for an article, I played the voicemail and got the shock of my life. “We’re calling to alert you that we’re prepared to take legal action against you because of suspicious activity on your social security number.” I played it three different times because I’d noticed they never actually said WHO was taking legal action against me. My cynical journalist radar was up and running.

Scam
I’ve seen this setting coming up on my cell phone an awful
lot lately. Keep an eye out for scammers. I took a scam phone call the other day and included the audio at the end of the blog post. Don’t give out personal information if you didn’t initiate the phone call.

I also should have known that something was up when the first three numbers of the “800 number” was 855. That’s an out-of-country 800 number, i would find out later. Anyway, I make the call because now I’m flat-out curious. The guy who answered the phone informed me that he was with the “Social Security Administration” and even tried to pass on his “badge number.” At this point, I know I’m being scammed because in all my years in the media, one thing that’s stuck in this old brain was the fact that the Social Security Administration will NEVER call you about a problem. EVER. They always reach out and correspond through the mail.

Anyway, back to the story. In VERY broken English, the guy says there’s legal action pending against me because of suspicious activity on my SSN. He confirms my name and that I am who I say I am. THEN, he asks me to confirm my social security number over the phone, which is a big faux pas when dealing with someone who actually knows better.

I thought just for fun I’d put the audio of the phone call up here for you to listen to. I had played it for a couple family members, including my wife Monique. She looks at me after the recording was done and said “I can’t believe how patient you were during that phone call.” Hey, I was having fun!

However, all giggling aside, a scam phone call is a very serious matter. If you didn’t initiate the phone call, under NO circumstances should you give our personal information. EVER.

The last thing I need you to remember is to call your local law enforcement and report the number the scammer used to call you. It really does help because law enforcement will put out the information to the public as a number to avoid.

Here’s some recommendations on how to deal with scam phone calls.