Telephone scams on the rise

The Idaho Attorney General’s Office is sounding the alarm about an increasing number of telephone scams targeting Idahoans.

The latest are being called “imposter” scams, because they almost always include a scammer pretending to be someone they’re not in order to get your money.

Everyone is a potential target, but scammers find more success with older people. Some are more effective at targeting young people.

“Staff in my office’s Consumer Protection Division have recently seen a significant increase in the number of Idahoans who have been targeted with imposter scam calls,” Wasden said. “While these scams are not new, I want to make sure all Idahoans are prepared in case their phone rings and there’s a scammer on the other end of the line.”

The AG’s office shared a description of some of the most common scams in Idaho this year:

— Grandparent scam: This scam targets grandparents. A caller poses as a grandchild in legal trouble, often in a foreign country. The caller asks the grandparent to help get them out of trouble by sending money via gift cards, money order, iTunes cards, etc.

— IRS scam: A caller purporting to be from the Internal Revenue Service claims the target owes back taxes. The tax problems will disappear, the scammer says, if the recipient of the call pays the taxes via gift cards, iTunes cards, etc. NOTE: The IRS initiates contact via U.S. mail. If you receive a call from someone saying they’re from the IRS, hang up. If you have any concerns about your taxes, initiate contact with IRS to inquire.

— Social Security Number scam: A caller pretends to be a government official or law enforcement officer and claims someone in another state is using the target’s Social Security Number. The caller may even be able to recite the last four digits of the target’s SSN. The recipient of the call is then asked to share the rest of their SSN to confirm that the “official” on the other end of the line has made contact with the correct person. The main goal of this particular scam is to steal the victim’s identity.

— Idaho Power/utilities scam: This scam usually targets small businesses – often restaurants. A scammer pretends to be from the utility company and, because of past-due bills, threatens to cut off service unless payment is made immediately. Idaho Power encourages recipients of these calls to hang up and call its customer service line at 208-388-2323.

— Publisher’s Clearing House scam: The caller tells the target they’ve won the Publisher’s Clearing House sweepstakes or another, similar prize. In order to cover the related fees and taxes upfront, the “winner” must send money – often several thousand dollars – right away.

— Arrest warrant scam: The caller claims a warrant has been issued for the target’s arrest, but if he or she pays the imposter, the warrant will disappear.

— Jury duty scam: The caller pretends to be a local official notifying the recipient of the call that they recently missed jury duty. In order to avoid large fines and/or stiffer punishment, the target must send payment immediately.

— Microsoft/Apple tech scam: A scammer calls the victim and claims the person’s computer is infected with a virus. The call may come after the victim clicks on a link on Facebook and a popup warning appears on the computer screen. The scammer pretends to be with “tech support” and promises to fix the computer for payment, often $499. A consumer should never click on questionable links that pop up and claim the consumer’s computer is infected.

One common clue to a possible scam is the caller’s use of broken English. Many scammers are located overseas. They also often use computer-generated messaging.

Threats and high-pressure to get you to act immediately are also tell-tale signs.

Wasden encouraged Idahoans to treat every call coming from an unknown number with skepticism. Let the call go to voicemail and hang up on any suspicious calls immediately. You can also contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division or call 1-800-432-3545 or 208-334-2424.