Local police warn of ‘Can you hear me?’ phone scam
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The following is a news release from the city of Pocatello.
POCATELLO — People should be suspicious of the following two scam calls that are plaguing our area.
Be wary of a call from someone posing as a federal grant writer, who claims you are eligible for a $100,000 grant or any dollar amount. The caller instructs you to wire an amount of money, via Western Union, in order to pay the taxes on this grant. This scam has snagged a few in our community.
It is illegal for anyone to require you to pay taxes up front on any winnings. A legitimate source is required to take the taxes from the money you been awarded or won before they give it to you.
The second scam is a pre-recorded phone call where the caller asks, “Can you hear me ok?” The con artist is trying to get you to say “yes” in order to record you. Your affirmative response is recorded by the fraudster and may be used to authorize unwanted charges on a phone or utility bill or on a stolen credit card number.
All consumers should monitor their credit card, banking, phone, and cable statements carefully for any unfamiliar charges. Immediately call the billing company to dispute any unfamiliar charges.
If anyone loses any money in these scams, they should report it to their local police department. To report that you only received the scam call, enter the complaint online at ftc.gov/complaint or call the FTC complaint line at 877-382-4357.