‘Spoofed’ scam calls hit Clallam County
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, February 26, 2020
The Clallam County Sheriff’s Department is warning local residents about a phone scam in which callers “spoof” a local cell number.
Spoofing is when a caller disguises the number they are calling from by changing their caller ID. In recent calls on the Olympic Peninsula, call recipients were told by an automated voice that their Visa debit card was restricted from out-of-state use because of certain activity. It stated call recipients can either call the credit card company (though it never provided a call back number) or to “press 1” to be transferred. After the call recipient presses “1,” the system asked for verification of billing information such as a ZIP code, social security number, debit card numbers, the card’s security number and the card personal identification number (PIN).
“The automated system sounded official and no live person ever spoke,” Chief Criminal Deputy Brian King noted in a press release from the department last week. “If you receive such a call, hang up without providing any information.
“If you have concern that there might be a real problem with your finances, contact your bank or financial institution yourself so that you initiate contact with a verified and trusted source,” King said in the release.
