Wireless customers targeted in scam
Local cell phone users are being targeted by what is an apparent scam by an as-of-yet unidentified out-of-state grooup.
Wireless telephone customers with the 215 telephone number — which includes most local customers of Verizon Wireless — are among those being targeted by the group, according to the Oneida Police Department.
Several wireless customers have apparently reported receiving the calls, which began last week and are from persons posing as telemarketers and offering good deals on products. The callers request personal information, including Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers.
While the number of the incoming call is sometimes masked, appearing as 555-555-5555 or another number, the incoming call most often appears as coming from 703-547-6545.
Oneida Chief of Police Mike Cross said investigators with his department have traced the number, but have not yet identified its exact location. He advised local customers not to give out any personal information to any telemarketer.
“Legitimate companies never call you by phone and ask for personal information,” he said. Unfortunately, he added, there have been instances where local customers have fallen victim to the scammers and given out personal information.
The persons calling usually claim to be representing Sprint Wireless.
The fraud has apparently been ongoing for at least nine months, with wireless customers across the nation reporting calls from the 547 number.
The number belongs to VSNL America, a branch of Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited International. VSNL International is described as India’s largest provider of international telecommunications and Internet services.
Cross said the scam is a good opportunity for local residents to remember the various ways that criminals attempt to scam unsuspecting victims. Another scam that has emerged in Scott County in recent months involve residents receiving a realistic but fake check along with a note requesting that they cash the check and wire a specified amount of money back to the sender.