Yuma-area group warns of phone scam
A local nonprofit is warning the public about a telephone scam using its name to ask residents for their Social Security number.
Helping Hands of Yuma Executive Director Amy Obney said Monday her office had gotten word from three different people called by people claiming to work for the agency and needing to have the Social Security identifying numbers for the residents of the household right away.
None of those people gave out the information, Obney said, but she remained concerned that some of the vulnerable senior citizens the nonprofit serves could fall victim.
“We have 300 seniors that we have contact with. Not all the time, but we check on them at least some of the time,” she said. “If they’re a senior and they’re in the Foothills, it’s possible they have been involved with us.”
She added that volunteers do sometimes call clients, but the agency never asks for Social Security numbers in any situation.
“We do call people sometimes to update their information or check on their welfare, but if you’re at all uncomfortable about it, just hang up and call back,” to verify whether the call is legitimate, Obney said.
She said those who had received the calls indicated they would call the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office right away to report them, but spokesman Alfonso Zavala said as of Monday afternoon it had not taken any such reports.
“So we’ve been putting the word out, and luckily nobody has fallen for it, that we know of,” she said. “But we’re thinking we could be hearing from more people, and there could be somebody out there.”
Helping Hands of Yuma, formerly Greater Foothills Helping Hands, was founded in 1996 and links volunteers to seniors who need assistance with transportation, shopping, home repairs, social opportunities and more.
Anyone who receives a suspicious phone call that they believe could be a scam should call their local law enforcement agency. Non-emergency police reports can be filed with YCSO at 928-783-4427 or Yuma Police Department at 928-783-4421.