Scam targeting local cell phone users
Sunday, December 21, 2008 12:22 PM PST
By The Daily News
Printable version
E-mail this articleThe Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office has received numerous reports of attempts to gain credit card information via a recorded phone message. More than 20 reports were received between Thursday afternoon and early Friday afternoon.
The calls target people with cell phone numbers that have a 751 prefix.
The recorded message claims to come from Cowlitz Credit Union, Cowlitz Bank or Fibre Federal Credit Union and advises that the recipient’s bank account has been compromised. They are then requested to enter a credit or debit card number.
The caller ID on the calls has varied and has listed area codes from at least five states and Puerto Rico. It would appear that the scammers are able to generate a false caller ID to mask their true identity.
The Sheriff’s Office advises people to never give out personal or account information over the phone unless they have initiated the call themselves and are confident in the recipient’s integrity.
If you feel you may have been targeted and have given out account information, please contact your banking institution and advise them of a possible compromise and to report it to their local law enforcement agency.
Tips on how to avoid being a victim of identity theft can be found on the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Web site at http://www.co.cowlitz.wa.us/sheriff/Misc/identitytheft.htm
vicki wrote on Dec 19, 2008 4:48 PM:
" My daughter and I both have 751 cell phone prefixes and both received calls from "Cowlitz Credit Union" last night. Since neither of us have ever banked there, we hung up but the # that showed on my phone was (801)553-6600. The call came in as restricted number on her phone. "
Lucky7 wrote on Dec 19, 2008 5:55 PM:
" This must be pretty widespread in the local area. My dad got this call today. It said something about putting a hold on his Visa due to possible fraudulent activity and they needed the card number blah blah blah. He went to Cowlitz Bank and talked to real live human about it who informed him it was fraud and they checked his account and told him to call police. "
day2day wrote on Dec 19, 2008 5:56 PM:
" I got the call too. "May" be a scam???
Mine came from 301 area code. It sounds like they worked over this town.
Lazy, selfish people... "
Mine came from 301 area code. It sounds like they worked over this town.
Lazy, selfish people... "
wilson2010 wrote on Dec 19, 2008 6:29 PM:
" I just received the above mentioned call and i have a 261 prefix. "
kalamafam wrote on Dec 19, 2008 6:34 PM:
" We got one today from a 303 area code, hope nobody falls for it! "
candy wrote on Dec 19, 2008 7:46 PM:
" Last night my husband and I were also victims of this scam. They called late at night and woke my husband up. I traced the phone call back to a non-published landline in Orlando Florida. What makes me the maddest, is that these people will just continue to get away with it, while unsuspecting citizens get their bank accounts drained. I thank the Lord that we were not one of the unfortunate ones. "
hick from the sticks wrote on Dec 19, 2008 8:12 PM:
" I want to thank Fibre Federal Credit Union for their kindness, and help during the compromise of our account. We were one of the unfortutate ones that got scammed, but it was a late night call, and my husband was not fully awake. Once he told me what happened, I quickly cancelled the cards, and called the credit union in the morning. Debbie, from the credit union never made us feel stupid, and she even called us back to let us know what was going on. If not for the services and professionalism from the credit union, we might have been victims, rather than just someone who made a mistake. Thank you Fibre. "
whatever wrote on Dec 19, 2008 9:01 PM:
" My husband and I both have cell #'s starting with 751 and we both received calls yesterday. We both just hung up because we don't bank at Cowlitz. His came through as restricted, but mine came through with the number 303-300-0200. My mother-in-law got a call tonight and her prefix on her cell # is 261 so maybe they are going to keep going. When my brother-in-law tried to call the number back that showed up on her phone, it said it was disconnected. I hope they can catch them. "
some1 wrote on Dec 19, 2008 9:25 PM:
" My husband and I also received the phone calls last night. His came from (801) 553-6600, which is registered to the Fonix Corporation in Salt Lake City, Utah. The number that showed up on my cell phone caller ID was (647) 722-2099. I didn't answer since we figured it was another fraudulent call. The weird thing though was when I called Cowlitz Credit Union, the lady asked if I was a US Cellular customer and said not to worry it was a phishing call. That's it. She didn't ask any more questions. We aren't even customers there. "
Washington Rez wrote on Dec 19, 2008 9:49 PM:
" I know of 3 people who got these calls Thursday night around 8:30 pm or so. They didn't enter anything. Called the bank this morning and was told it was a scam. "
Seriously? wrote on Dec 19, 2008 10:09 PM:
" I have a 261 and got the call while I was shopping at Freddies. Persistant little buggers, they called me three times before I answered it, talked about a Visa being susoended, blah blah blah, and I hung up. Wow are they getting smarter "
justareader wrote on Dec 19, 2008 10:13 PM:
" I'm not a member of that credit union/banks but I thank all of you for sharing your stories and experiences. It's not just the ignorant and elderly that get scammed, that's why they call late at night. I'm glad your credit union was so responsive. Your info sharing is greatly appreciated. Thank you also to the TDN for the article and allowing your comments to be posted. Hope this helps everyone to have a safer holiday. "
pangborn wrote on Dec 19, 2008 11:27 PM:
" I've been getting landline calls from a place called Gold Coast asking about a credit card ending ____ digits and I have reported them to fraud at the card place.
Are there actually people who believe these things??? I guess so. "
Are there actually people who believe these things??? I guess so. "
pat83t wrote on Dec 20, 2008 1:52 AM:
" The only problem with the numbers that the calls come from is the fact that there is software and hardware out there that allows the user to program what phone number they want you to see. "
qwerty wrote on Dec 20, 2008 7:16 AM:
" I got a call too, mine was from a (541) area code. I called it back and it was to a Redmond area Dr.s office. Too weird! "
Joe Shmo wrote on Dec 20, 2008 7:28 AM:
" I'm sure we would all be surprised at how many people fall for it. Only 1 person would admit it. "
kitters wrote on Dec 20, 2008 8:08 AM:
" I don't keep my cellphone turned on, but after reading the article I checked my voice mail. Sure enough, there is a recorded message that my Visa card at Cowlitz Credit Union has been compromised. I don't have a Visa at Cowlitz CU!
Where are they getting the cell phone numbers??? I rarely give out my cell number. Which service providers use the 751 prefix? Mine is U.S. Cellular.
Could there be a problem there?
I would never 'buy into' a call that asks for credit card info, but the cell service providers always want your Social Security number when they set up an account for you. If these callers are getting our numbers from a service provider, do they have access to our Social Security numbers as well? "
Where are they getting the cell phone numbers??? I rarely give out my cell number. Which service providers use the 751 prefix? Mine is U.S. Cellular.
Could there be a problem there?
I would never 'buy into' a call that asks for credit card info, but the cell service providers always want your Social Security number when they set up an account for you. If these callers are getting our numbers from a service provider, do they have access to our Social Security numbers as well? "
DW wrote on Dec 20, 2008 8:20 AM:
" My Dad had this happen to him two days ago. He hung up and didn't give out any info. They need to nail these jerks!!! "
Resident wrote on Dec 20, 2008 8:22 AM:
" I received these calls from Alberta, Canada, area code 918 and 646. "
LVAlumni wrote on Dec 20, 2008 9:00 AM:
" Pangborn, unfortunately, with identity theft being the fastest growing crime in America, yes, people DO believe these things. These scammers are highly intelligent, and hit these folks in the weak spot, i.e. YOUR ACCOUNT HAS BEEN COMPROMISED. Because people fear identity theft so much (as they should, and having been a victim myself to the tune of thousands drained from our bank account due to a hacker) they take swift action to protect themselves, but in doing so, actually REVEAL the information the thieves are seeking, allowing the cycle of theft to perpetuate. It's reverse psychology that they are relying upon to scam their victims. They prey upon their victims fear of being ripped off in order to successfully rip them off. "
rosy wrote on Dec 20, 2008 9:50 AM:
" I got a call too. I became suspicious because I don't have a Visa at Cowlitz Bank although I do buy Visa gift cards there.
Also, the voice on the line had an English accent. I'm in the bank enough to know no one who works there speaks this way.
Good luck folks. "
Also, the voice on the line had an English accent. I'm in the bank enough to know no one who works there speaks this way.
Good luck folks. "
Tom wrote on Dec 20, 2008 12:25 PM:
" I don't use cell phones and I pay for my stuff with cash. This scam is a perfect example of technology being a two-edged sword, and I don't feel sorry for people who get stuck. "
CR Mom 2 wrote on Dec 20, 2008 12:41 PM:
" My husband and I both received these calls Thursday night. I have to confess that I almost fell for it! I do bank at Cowlitz CU, so when I heard that my account had been compromised, I panicked and started entering my debit card # into my phone. Luckily when the # was repeated back to me, I had missed a digit. Then my senses returned and I hung up. I consider myself to be a fairly intelligent person, always watching out for scams and rip-offs, so I can just imagine how less cautious ppl and especially the elderly can be taken advantage of. LOW LIFE, SCUM BAGS!! "
Lucky7 wrote on Dec 20, 2008 1:14 PM:
" The one thing everyone needs to know is you'll NEVER recieve a call from your bank requesting your account number. They already have it! On the flip side I did get a call from WAMU recently where I have a business account wanting to confirm an online purchase I had made. I told them I wasn't comfortable with the call and went into a branch where it was confirmed that it was a legit call from there security department, and the local branch handled it for me. "
flamingo wrote on Dec 20, 2008 1:52 PM:
" It's easy to stop these guys from scamming people. NEVER give out PERSONAL INFORMATION to ANYONE who CALLS YOU. It's a pretty simple solution. No legitimite business does that. "
scooby wrote on Dec 20, 2008 5:42 PM:
" Wow! We got a call and we have T Mobile with prefixes 261 and 232.
They claimed they were from Cowlitz Bank. I knew it was a scam right off because we don't bank at Cowlitz. I was going to call them Monday to report it. "
They claimed they were from Cowlitz Bank. I knew it was a scam right off because we don't bank at Cowlitz. I was going to call them Monday to report it. "
Kalama rose wrote on Dec 21, 2008 10:46 AM:
" Wow, Tom, do you hide your money under your mattress, too? Theft like this has been around for years. My husband and I had a credit card in the late 1980s which someone gained access to and made several $99 charges which we didn't realize until our statement came weeks later. Now, thanks to technology, a person can obtain near instant notification if fraudulent activity takes place. As Lucky 7 says, legitimate requests DO NOT ask for your personal information but instruct you to contact the institution. This includes NOT calling a phone number that is provided by the "phishers", but one that is provided by your bank or credit card company. "
tom wrote on Dec 21, 2008 1:38 PM:
" Kalama Rose: This scam isn't about people just taking your money. It's about people with cell phones giving out their information willingly, because they're not smart enough to check with their bank first. Cell phones are great, sure, for emergencies, but what is an emergency to the average American anymore? If you decide to give in to the technological advances of our society and choose not to be aware of the risks, it's your own fault that you're scammed. Why do you need a credit card? If you have the money, you buy things. If not, wait until you do. We live in a country instant gratification, which definitely includes cell phones. More cell phones equals more people using the technology to prey on others. Be aware. Don't be stupid. "
1974 Rocket wrote on Dec 21, 2008 4:03 PM:
" Lucky7 you are so right. If it really is your financial institution calling, they already have your account information in front of them. Some institutions are also willing to use a "password" or "secret" system that lets you pick a specific code word that they have to supply to identify to you that it really is a legitimate call.
For those of you that wonder how they got your phone number...they didn't. They program a computer with a pre-recorded message to dial every number within a prefix, one after another. Usually they ask you to dial a number which when pressed will let them know they have a potential "sucker" on the line. If you don't respond in the required manner, their computer moves on to the next number. There are sources on the internet they can use to phish for different prefixes used in a given area.
Technology, while it saves us a lot of work, has made it easier for the criminal element to bilk the populace out of their hard earned money. I deal with these types of situations daily in my profession. Talk with your financial institutions about the different types of safeguards you can place on your accounts, and remember, NEVER GIVE OUT OR CONFIRM PERSONAL INFORMATION OVER THE PHONE! That can't be said enough. And remember, if it sound too good to be true, it probably is. "
For those of you that wonder how they got your phone number...they didn't. They program a computer with a pre-recorded message to dial every number within a prefix, one after another. Usually they ask you to dial a number which when pressed will let them know they have a potential "sucker" on the line. If you don't respond in the required manner, their computer moves on to the next number. There are sources on the internet they can use to phish for different prefixes used in a given area.
Technology, while it saves us a lot of work, has made it easier for the criminal element to bilk the populace out of their hard earned money. I deal with these types of situations daily in my profession. Talk with your financial institutions about the different types of safeguards you can place on your accounts, and remember, NEVER GIVE OUT OR CONFIRM PERSONAL INFORMATION OVER THE PHONE! That can't be said enough. And remember, if it sound too good to be true, it probably is. "
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