West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey's office is warning residents in the state about a scam involving callers telling consumers they are late on their Frontier phone bill payments, then asking for personal information and demanding an immediate payment.
The callers tell the consumer they are late in their payments and ask for private, personal information such as the consumers Social Security number, bank account or credit card number, and other information, Morrisey said. This is most likely a scam. Legitimate businesses do not ask for that type of information over the phone.
As with many scams, consumers should be wary of cold calls that use high-pressure sales tactics to get personal information, he said. Consumers can always take the time to call service providers and companies directly to verify the amount they owe."
The AG's office offers the following tips for handling solicitations of any kind.
Never give out personal information over the phone, on the Internet or to someone coming to your home unsolicited.
If a caller says you must pay a late bill right away, take down the necessary information and then call the companys customer service line to verify your account balance.
Do not panic. Take time to think through whether the amount they say you owe is really owed.
Remember that wiring money is the same as sending cash. Once it is sent, it is very difficult to trace who received it.
Be wary if someone uses bullying tactics to get you to pay a bill. Hang up and call the Attorney Generals Consumer Protection Office at 800-368-8808.
