Scammers target local woman

AG also warns of warranty scam

EL DORADO — A local woman recently contacted the News-Times about a recurring scam in which con artists are using social media in an attempt to commit identity theft.

The woman said she was contacted by a man claiming to be a representative from the federal government in a variation of the government grant scam, in which scammers pose as federal government officials, ask for personal financial data, and request that the person send them a money gram with a specified amount.

The scammers then say a much larger amount of money, a federal grant, will be delivered to the sender later.

The scam cropped back up last fall when law enforcement agencies around the country began receiving reports about a Facebook page titled, “Federal Government Empowerment Money Program.”

The page has since been removed.

The local woman said the man who contacted her used the name “James Eldon” and a phone number of 323250-7091.

Attorney General Leslie Rutledge is warning Arkansans about scam artists pushing bogus car warranties, with hopes of gaining personal information from consumers.

Rutledge said several citizens have recently contacted her office with reports of unscrupulous sales people attempting to scare them into purchasing unnecessary third-party car warranties.

Complainants have said the sales pitches are usually made by phone with scam

artists posing as representatives of a car dealer, manufacturer or insurer and telling consumers that their car warranty is about to expire.

The scammers are trying to obtain personal or financial information, Rutledge said.

“Scammers use high-pressure tactics to trick consumers into turning over private information in hopes of remaining under the safety net of a car warranty,” Rutledge said.

“My office has recently seen an uptick of consumers receiving these robocalls. It can be difficult to discern if these types of calls are scams, but best practice is to never give personal information over the phone, especially if the phone call is unsolicited,” she continued.

Rutledge issued several tips to help consumers identify and avoid falling victim to such a scam. Consumers should:

• Never give out personal or banking information in response to a phone, email or mail inquiry. Use a different method to make direct contact with the entity requesting the information and to verify that it is a reputable company with which the consumer has an existing relationship.

• Never wire money. Wiring money is like giving cash away. If consumers wire money, there is no protection for them if they later learn that the recipient is not who he claims to be.

• Investigate offers before paying any money.

• Review bank statements and credit card statements regularly. Monitor financial account statements for any unusual activity and promptly report any unauthorized charges to the account provider.

If consumers are concerned that an extended warranty may be required, they should first check the manufacturer’s warranty to verify existing coverage, Rutledge advised.

Should a consumer choose to purchase an extended warranty, he should review any exclusions before purchasing.

Many extended warranties are expensive, and the coverage much more limited than the coverage included in the manufacturer’s warranty.

Rutledge urged consumers to research different companies to determine if the product is necessary and right for them.

Complaints about suspected scam calls may be filed with the attorney general’s office and the Federal Communications Commission.

For more information, call Rutledge’s office at ( 800) 4828982 send an email to consumer@ arkansasag.gov.

Also, visit ArkansasAG.gov or Facebook.com/AGLeslieRutledge.

Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or by email at tlyons@ eldoradonews.com.