Two people in Le Roy have complained to police, according to Chief Chris Hayward, of getting phone calls that sound suspiciously like a scam.
Hayward is asking local media to alert seniors to the potential scam, which Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman issued a statement about a few days ago.
The purported scam begins with a robo call that tells seniors they've been approved for an emergency alert device that they can receive for free. Scare tactics are used to encourage seniors to continue with the call, telling them that seniors have died when emergency responders were not notified quickly enough.
The company allegedly running the scam may be based in the Utica area and employs a 315 area code.
For a $35 monthly fee, the company says it will monitor this free equipment.
Potential victims are asked to give personal billing information over the phone.
Schneiderman issued the following tips on avoiding fraud:
- Never give out billing or other personal information over the phone, especially if you receive an unsolicited telephone call from a stranger;
- Never cash a check from an unknown source, especially if you are being asked to wire a portion of the proceeds to a stranger;
- Never wire money to someone you don't know who contacts you; it's the same as handing over cash.
I just got another type of
I just got another type of Robo scam call yesterday from 203-349-2408 telling me that the FBI reports thousands of homes are vandalized everyday because they don’t have a security system in place. The robo call instructed me to make a sign and put it in the front lawn and someone would be out and install a FREE home security system. They also said if I don’t want to be called again, I could press 9 to be put on the Do-Not-Call list. I don’t think that pressing 9 is a good idea at all. I contacted the State Police in Batavia and they said that I was the first one to complain about this type of scam and phone number in Genesee County.
Thanks for sharing that,
Thanks for sharing that, Chuck.
I receive a lot of those
I receive a lot of those calls too Chuck.. I don't answer them myself.
FYI, I ran a reverse look-up for that number, and there's no information on it. You do know that telemarketing, and collection, agencies use false numbers on their caller ID that show up on your display?
That's so you can trace the number to an address and file a complaint against them for violating the Do Not Registry regulations.
The problem is that the phone
The problem is that the phone company can still trace the call Richard as the companies that provide the "bridgeing" service still leave traces. So if legalities become involved it still can be traced.