Tenney’s office warns about harassing calls

NEW HARTFORD, N.Y.>> Have you or yours received harassing phone calls from the 22nd Congressional Office of Claudia Tenney?

Those calls are a scam, according to a statement issued today by Tenney’s office.

Tenney’s office released the following statement alerting constituents in the 22nd District - which encompasses both Madison and Oneida counties, to harassing phone calls:

“Over the last week constituents have contacted our office reporting repeated, harassing phone calls either claiming to be from our office or directly connecting them to our office. Constituent reports indicate repeated calls over the course of a few hours, and sometimes very late in the evening. Known as ‘patch through calls’, these calls begin with an operator encouraging the person answering the phone call to repeat a message provided by the operator while the line is then connected to one of our offices. Other times, the calls immediately connect the person answering the phone to our office. The

calls are confusing and mislead many people to believe they are being directly contacted by our office,” said Hannah Andrews, Rep. Tenney’s spokeswoman.

“This is a scam and our office would never contact constituents in this manner,” the statement continues. “The calls, especially the ones that occur late in the evening, maliciously target seniors, veterans, and families with young children.

“Unfortunately, the calls are extremely difficult to trace back to the original source, especially since they do not comply with federal laws that would make them easier to track. Often, the calls are paid for by special interest groups based in Washington D.C., or out- of- state organizations.”

Andrews also encouraged those who receive the calls to reach out to the national office or the FCC.

“Our of fice is currently working to stop these disruptive phone calls and prevent future calls from happening. If you receive these calls, please contact our off ice at 202-225- 3665 or the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to report the matter.”

Capitol Police are investigating the matter.