Another Phone Scam Reported In Small Town Wisconsin
Have you received a call from an unknown number recently? Maybe you've even received a call that said it was a company or business but it wasn't. Scammers are evolving and a new scam reported in Wisconsin is a good example of that.
This scam was reported earlier this month in Monticello, Wisconsin. The Monticello Police Department shared details about the scam in hopes of people learning what scammers were up to and helping others avoid becoming a victim of it.
Sadly, it looks like a Wisconsin resident did fall victim to the scam. The Monticello Police Department shared details of how the scam works, saying that in this case, the scammer was posing as a Spectrum employee.
From there, the scammer told the person on the other end of the line that they wanted to offer them a lower bill for one of their services, like cable television or their internet bill. The scammer told the person that all they needed to do was make one payment upfront or pay a fee.
While we all often dream about a lower television or internet bill, the chances of someone from a business calling and offering a lower bill is probably never going to happen. In this instance, the person on the other end of the line fell for the scam and the scammer was able to get the banking information.
A person was posing as a Spectrum employee and offered to lower their monthly TV, cable, or internet bill in exchange for a pre-payment or other fee. Of course, it wasn’t actually one. It was a scammer. They were able to obtain bank routing numbers and social security number.
The Monticello Police Department did not specify how much money was taken from the person on the other end of the line but they did confirm that someone fell for this scam and therefore, is out of a chunk of change.
As always, do not ever give someone your personal or banking information over the phone, even if it seems legitimate. If someone asks you to pay some sort of fee or payment upfront, it is likely it is a scam.
There have also been scams in recent times in which scammers target the elderly community. If you read about a scam like this one, make sure to fill in the seniors in your life in case they get a call like this.
The Monticello Police Department also suggests hanging up if you get a call like this. If you want to know if the person is legitimate, hang up and call the business directly. This is a quick and easy way to see if something is a scam.
The Monticello PD also says that anything involving a gift card payment is also likely a scam. This was the case with another recent scam reported in Winthrop, Minnesota. Gift card scams are not unlikely.
Last but not least, do not think something is legitimate just because the caller ID says so. Technology is so advanced these days that scammers can easily fake a phone call and pose as someone else.
It's only a matter of time until a new scam pops up. Most scams are similar to one another but unfortunately, scammers are becoming more advanced. I get a ton of spam calls each day and one time, even got a call from someone who had my information. They told me that I had reached out to their company for financial advice, but I never did. Once they had me on the line, they tried to convince me that I did, even though I had never heard of the company before. We just have to stay vigilant out there!