Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 11:27 a.m.
Read more: Local, State, Scam, Attorney General, Corday, Phone, Social Security, Ohio, Ohioans
COLUMBUS, OHIO -- A phone scam has been reported in which callers claim they are from the Attorney General’s Office and demand personal information. Some calls were said to have been an automated voice, while others were a live person. Recipients of these calls have been told to provide their social security numbers. These calls are not sanctioned, and you should never give out such information over the phone.
In some cases they have tried to intimidate the callers by threatening arrest and job loss. "Under no circumstances would employees of my office demand personal information or use threats to receive it. I strongly urge recipients of these phone calls to disconnect immediately and report the call to my office," said Attorney General Richard Corday.
Cordray offered the following guidelines to help Ohioans avoid falling victim to this type of scam:
- Don't give out personal information to an unexpected caller. The Attorney General's Office will never call to ask you for your Social Security number. If a call seems suspicious, it probably is.
- When in doubt, ask for the name of the organization and research it on your own. Call back to a listed number.
- If you think you've given out your Social Security number in a scam, place an alert on your credit reports and monitor your credit reports for unauthorized activity.
- If you feel that you have fallen victim to a scam, file a complaint with the Attorney General's Office at www.SpeakOutOhio.gov or (800) 282-0515.
