Phone Scam Occuring Locally

October 6, 2011 - CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Cedar Rapids Police said that phone scammers are apparently targeting people in the 319, 563 and 515 area codes.

One person who got a call said people are told their Wells Fargo bank card is deactivated and they must give their bank codes to reactivate the card. The recipient said his call from the scam artists came on his cell phone and gave the return number of a retirement planning company in Virginia.

An employee with Retirement Planners & Administrators of Falls Church, VA. sent out an e-mail warning people in Iowa that an auto call scammer had lifted the company’s number as a phony return number for caller I.D. That company said they have gotten calls from people in Iowa who had received the scam calls.

Sgt. Cristy Hamblin with Cedar Rapids Police said officers have received a few reports about an ongoing phone scam. Sgt. Hamblin said a crime is not committed until a credit or debit card is compromised. Anyone who gave out bank information might not know if someone had illegally used their card until a next monthly statement.

Hamblin said Cedar Rapids Police are taking information from people who got the calls. But police can’t take any action until there is proof of a crime.

Sgt. Hamblin said anyone getting such a call should hang up and not reveal any bank information over the phone.

Republished from KCRG.com.