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BOGUS
CALL RECEIVED STATING PERSONAL BANKING INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET The Wise County Sheriff’s Department received a
call from a concerned citizen that could have been a victim of Identity Theft,
she advised she received a call from a man identifying himself as Charles
Goodwin the President of the Chico First State Bank. This man advised the
citizen that her bank account information was available on the inter-net and for
safety reason he wanted to assist her in changing her account information. The man began to get rude when she began asking
questions. He then asked for her account and routing number, which she gave him.
The citizen stated she was then transferred to a female who began asking the
same type questions. The citizen became upset and refused to answer further
questions regarding her account. The citizen stated she told the caller she
would contact the Chico Bank in the morning.
The citizen contacted her bank and made them aware of the call and the
bank flag the account for any unusual or unauthorized activity. The Deputy was able to get a phone number from the
caller ID on the citizen’s phone. The
Phone number was a (866) number who identified the business as a collections
service for a group of Telemarketers. Sgt Debbie Denney, Public Information Officer
contacted the Collection Inc to verify the number and determine what the group
did. Sgt Denney was advised the Collection Inc. assisted with the billing and
verifying orders placed through the Telemarketers and they handled about 60
accounts. The phone number the Deputy located on the Caller Id
returned to a Group called Priority Savings Group, they sell discount packages
of pharmaceutical products from Canada. The representative of the Collection
Inc. Group advised the business did not show an order placed through the company
to be approved, or the banking account information accessed. The Wise County Sheriff’s Department wants to
remind our citizens; Don’t give out personal information on the phone, through
the mail or the inter-net unless you’ ve initiated the contact or are sure you
know who you ‘re dealing with. Identity thieves can be skilled liars, and may
pose as representatives of banks, Internet service providers (ISPs), or even
government agencies to get you to reveal identifying information. Before you
divulge any personal information, confirm that you’re dealing with a
legitimate organization. Double check by calling customer service using the
number on your account statement or in the telephone book.
Guard your mail and trash from theft. Deposit
outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office
instead of an unsecured mailbox. Remove mail from your mailbox promptly. If
you’re planning to be away from home and can’t pick up your mail, call your
local post office and ask for a vacation hold. If you suspect you are a victim of Identity Theft
contact your local law enforcement agency and file a report. Keep a copy of the
report. You may need it to validate your claims to creditors. If you can’t get
a copy, at least get the report number. The Wise County Sheriff’s Department has made a commitment to the citizens of Wise County making certain our citizens are informed of possible problems, scams and/or incidents that are going on in our county. We want to make certain to keep Wise County “ Safe and Sound.” |
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