AARP warns of utility and credit card company scams

AARP Hawaii is warning consumers about a new method used by utility scammers involving cable and credit card company imposters.

“Scammers are slick,” said Jackie Boland, outreach director for AARP Hawaii, in a news release. “They try to throw you off so you think something is routine or scare you so you are reacting emotionally.”

One example is when an Oahu woman recently notified the AARP Fraud Watch Network that she received a voicemail from her cable company to schedule an appointment to upgrade her cable box. When she called the number on the voice message, they asked for her preferred time, already had her address and then asked for her credit card information to pay a $4 surcharge for the cable box.

According to the news release, the imposter told her the card was not good and asked for another credit card number. She didn’t think anything of it until she got another call from someone claiming to be from her credit card company “Bank Fraud Investigation Unit.”

The caller told her that someone had made a suspicious purchase of $500 in Florida. The imposter told her not to worry and that they would alert her other credit card company and confirmed the other credit card number that she had given the utility imposter. The credit card imposter then asked for her birthday and mother’s maiden name to confirm her identity and credit cards and proceeded to also ask for her Social Security number.

At that point, the woman became suspicious and asked the imposter to read her last four digits and she would confirm it. When the woman persisted and asked the credit card company imposter for an office number to call back, the imposter hung up.

“This scam uses both methods,” Boland said. “A utility company call for an upgrade wouldn’t necessarily raise red flags and someone calling you telling you your credit card number has been stolen creates fear and anger.”

Boland said that the Oahu woman in this case did the right thing by notifying the AARP Fraud Watch Network and the Federal Trade Commission to report the scam.

“She also notified her credit card companies, bank and credit reporting agencies,” she added. “So far, no unusual charges or activity have been reported.”

Visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at fraudwatchnetwork.org or call (877) 9083360 to get tips on identifying and reporting scams.