News Release
May 21, 2008

 

Automated telephone phishing scams continue to be problem in Wyoming

Consumers receiving automated telephone calls are reminded not to give out personal information or say ‘yes’ to anything unless they fully hear and understand what is being offered.

Milt Green, University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service educator, said he has received several inquiries to his office in Casper about credit agencies calling concerning reducing credit card debt.

“Many of these companies are legitimate, but most of these companies do not make random phone calls to residents,” said Green. “When inquiring with the Attorney General’s Office, it was discovered most of these are automatic dialers. According to the Attorney General’s Office, the use of automatic dialers and taped voice messages is illegal in Wyoming.”

The caller ID will indicate an 800 number, but the three-number prefix will not be the same on consecutive calls.  “The goal is to get someone on the other end to pick up the phone,” said Green. “Caller ID is a great management tool here – I have callers who have called me 70-80 times – the calls will quit for a period of time and then start up again.”

Callers will talk very fast at a low volume. “The strategy is to convince you to say “yes” at some point during the call,” said Green. “The Attorney General’s office highly recommends if anyone has lost money as a result of being a victim of an electronic scam or any electronic identity theft that they be called immediately.  If anyone has been a victim of an electronic crime, contact the Consumer Protection Unit in the Office of the Attorney General (800) 438-5799.”

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Contact: Steven L. Miller, Senior Editor
Phone: (307) 766-6342
E-mail: slmiller@uwyo.edu
Archived News Site http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/UWAG/news.asp

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