BANGOR, Maine — Bangor police are warning residents to be wary of a phone scam trying to bilk people into paying money to avoid arrest.
Police received a complaint Tuesday from a woman who said she received a call from a male who said she had a warrant out for her arrest and to call Officer Richard Johnson at a Texas phone number to make a payment, Sgt. Paul Edwards said Wednesday morning. The caller ID read “Emergency 911.”
Officer Chris Blanchard followed up on the complaint by calling the Texas number, but “was given the runaround,” according to Edwards.
Blanchard then called the Texas attorney general’s office, which said the call was part of a nationwide scam the office had received numerous complaints about.
Edwards said people should be sure they’re dealing with a reputable institution before giving out any personal information.
“Again, if you receive any phone call from anyone claiming to be in powerful position demanding money, please check the source to make certain it is reliable, as in most cases it is not,” Edwards said.
Wanna have fun with scammers? Hand you phone to your 3-5 year old and let them chat.
Frankly, I would be careful about letting them know there is a child in the house.
Better yet, hand the phone to a toddler and tell them it’s Santa.
Or sit the phone next to the TV and turn on any of the ‘Real Housewives’ shows.
What a great idea. I babysit my 2 year old grandchild. She loves to talk on the phone. Too bad I never get any of these calls. The Do Not Call Registry seems to be working.
I live in the Downeast area. A few years back, I applied for and received a couple of payday loans, which were repaid in full. Those in themselves are scams as they take out about three times as much as you borrow.
Then a few months after they were repaid, those that I had used as references started getting these calls. They were told to have me call or that they could make repayment for me, to avoid my being arrested. I am not convinced these calls were related to the loan companies, but rather that they sold ALL the info or the full apps. I called back the Texas number, after determining through the AG’s office there, that these “security” agencies were bogus. A very harsh person told me I had not paid the full amount and that a warrant for my arrest had been issued. I asked this person if they would like some additional contact information and of course, they were eager. I gave them the numbers of the local police department with the name of our chief and told them he could find me almost anytime. I also gave them the name of the Washington County Sheriff’s Dept along with the name of a couple of deputies I happen to know and that these individuals could find me pretty easily too. They refused the number for the State Police and hung up. We never heard from them again.
Selling information collected on the Internet is the largest Internet business out there. Some sellers will cull the information to give the buyer only what they pay for, but some more unscrupulous collectors of data will sell all of the information that is collected. Be very careful about what information you supply on internet forms and know who the information is going to and read carefully their privacy policies, although even those are subject to change without notice, for the most part.
I keep a separate bank account, and a separate credit/debit card for online transactions. I feel safe using my bank account information with places like Amazon or other nationally recognized brands, but if you are redirected to a site from another like Google or Facebook, then have a prepaid or limited card to make transactions should you decide to make a purchase. Report any fraudulent use or attempted use to the card carrier and to the AG in your state and the state of the transaction if that can be determined. Yes, it is a pain in the butt, but only if consumers work together can we thwart those who figure they can help themselves to our money. Even if it is only a small amount, multiply it by several thousand and you will have an idea of how much money these jerks get for almost no effort.
NEVER GIVE ANY INFORMATION TO THESE CALLERS. THERE IS NO WARRANT FOR YOUR ARREST, OR LIKELY A FRIEND’S ARREST, THE LOCAL POLICE WILL CONTACT YOU IF THERE IS. DO NOT GIVE ANY CALLER OF THIS TYPE MONEY OR BANK ACCOUNT INFO. DO NOT WIRE THEM MONEY, THAT IS THE BIGGEST FLAG FOR A SCAM.
And then there are companies that advertise on TV. They are allowed to do business, although they should be shut down by the Attorney General.
They sound good until you try to cancel.
I couldn’t get rid of these folks. They call. They mail. They even asked me to come back and continue to do business with them.
Two years later they are still billing me for the up-front payment for the following year that I never used.
You might save yourself some grief if you read this web page I found that says 32 or so states have made them refund money, but I don’t see that it slowed them down a bit. I wouldn’t be surprised if they reported me to a credit agency to destroy my credit rating. Be very careful with these big companies because in the Open For Business climate we have in America today they seem to transcend the law.
http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/pressroom/2009_11/20091116b.html
The humble Farmer
I have the perfect solution. No home phone. Cell phone only, and I never get solicitors on that!
Give them time.
I wonder why these people believed they were about to be arrested. Anyone who didn’t break any laws wouldn’t be so easily fooled. There seems to be a chunk of info that didn’t get in this story and I want to know what it was.
I find it hard to believe that anyone willing to give personal information out on the phone that a warning will help. I wonder what political party they belong to.
I start talking french to them, I get hung up on almost instantly. My kids get a kick out of it.