ALERT-Phone scams on the rise

Any scam can happen, but here are some common examples phone scammers like to use:

• Charity scams – they pose as disaster relief asking for donations
• Extended car warranty scams – they know what kind of car you drive and when you bought it and will try to sell you a worthless service contract
• Free trials scam – they promise it is a free trial on products but will bill you every month until you cancel
• Prize & lottery scams – they will claim you won something, but then ask for a registration or shipping fee to get it.
• Travel & timeshare scams – they promise free vacations that end up costing you a ton of hidden costs.
• Debt relief and credit repair scams – they will offer to fix your credit or give loan forgiveness
• Imposter scams – they pretend to be someone you know or trust, a government agency, or your utility company
• Business & investment scams – they promise to help you start a business or guarantee profits if you invest

The main thing they try to do is to get you to pay a portion of something up front – DO NOT give anyone your personal information. Hang up the phone! If you are due a refund for any product or service, the legitimate company will mail it to you or credit your account. If they leave a message on your voice mail – do not return the call.

Here is a link for how to recognize a phone scam that may be helpful: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0208-phone-scams#howtorecognize