West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey offered advice to consumers following multiple recent reports of scammers using robocalls to target West Virginians.
Scammers often use legitimate phone numbers to make incessant robocalls that swindle consumers out of their hard-earned money.
“Consumers need to keep their guard up and stay alert if they receive a suspicious call,” Morrisey said. “Remember, don’t panic, and don’t give away any personal information. Our office remains committed to making progress in combating unlawful robocalls, and we will continue to fight these illegal and obnoxious scam calls.”
If consumers receive a scam call, they should:
- Hang up. Ending the conversation is the quickest way to stop a scam.
- Verify the call. If the caller claims to represent a particular government agency, hang up and call the main number for the legitimate agency to see if that agency was trying to reach you.
- Don’t trust one’s caller ID. Scammers have been known to falsify or “spoof” calls to make them appear to come from a legitimate source.
- Don’t give in to the scammer. Scammers are hoping consumers will panic and surrender the information or money they are asking for out of fear.
- Report the scam.
Consumers are urged to never share personally identifiable, financial and otherwise sensitive information without verifying the legitimacy of the recipient. The same goes for never agreeing to send cash, wire money or provide numbers associated with a credit/debit card or bank account.
Anyone with questions or who believes they may have been a victim of a scam should contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 800-368-8808 or visit the office online at www.ago.wv.gov.