04-25-2014, 04:16 PM
Phone scammers are at it again and this time officials at the Better Business Bureau say they are posing as federal agents and looking for your social security number.
Warren Clark is the President of the Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York. He said, “This type of call is always unsettling, especially for the elderly. It’s very important to be on guard and keep caregivers informed of these activities to protect their loved ones.”
According to the BBB, scammers are using several tricks to convince you they are federal agents, including spoofing. Officials say that’s a form of identity theft were the caller ID is faked and it appears that it is from a real business or government agency.
Tips from the BBB to protect yourself
• Beware of any caller claiming to be from a federal agency demanding money. The Federal government says it would never ask for payments by wire transfer or a prepaid card. Government agencies will typically alert people to issues by mail, not a phone call.
• Never give anyone money or credit card information over the phone.
• Never trust callers who use threats and hostility to bully their targets into doing what they want. This is a tactic many scammers use.
• Be skeptical of what a caller claims he or she can do if you refuse to meet their demand.
Warren Clark is the President of the Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York. He said, “This type of call is always unsettling, especially for the elderly. It’s very important to be on guard and keep caregivers informed of these activities to protect their loved ones.”
According to the BBB, scammers are using several tricks to convince you they are federal agents, including spoofing. Officials say that’s a form of identity theft were the caller ID is faked and it appears that it is from a real business or government agency.
Tips from the BBB to protect yourself
• Beware of any caller claiming to be from a federal agency demanding money. The Federal government says it would never ask for payments by wire transfer or a prepaid card. Government agencies will typically alert people to issues by mail, not a phone call.
• Never give anyone money or credit card information over the phone.
• Never trust callers who use threats and hostility to bully their targets into doing what they want. This is a tactic many scammers use.
• Be skeptical of what a caller claims he or she can do if you refuse to meet their demand.