FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT
DATE: JANUARY 2, 2018
RE: PRESS RELEASE - TELEPHONE SCAMS MORE NUMEROUS AND DANGEROUS
According to the Ulster County District Attorney’s Division of Consumer Affairs, unwanted telephone calls to consumers increased 76% in 2017 (this according to a data analysis compiled by Hiya (https://hiya.com/), a free call-screening app). These mostly robocalls can represent annoying interruptions, or they can be dangerous scams that are designed to steal victims’ money or identities. This year, Hiya has identified a new trend it calls “the neighbor scam.” Spoofing technology allows a clever scammer to make his number appear to be local, making it more likely the recipient will answer. The scammer placing the call, usually from outside the country, hopes consumers think they recognize the number as familiar even though it’s not a number saved in their phone.
Common phone scams include the utility scam, the grandparent scam, the charity scam, the computer cold call repair scam and, of course, the IRS scam.
Consumer Affairs advises the best defense against these phone scams is a healthy amount of skepticism. Scammers generally try to scare their victims, or they promise them something that’s just too good to be true. Consumers should not hesitate to hang upwhen they hear a recorded voice, even if it looks like a local call.
Consumer Affairs can be reached at 340-3260.