Police: Don't talk. Don't be polite. Hang up.

by Nora Gathings (hsgathings@wsbt.com)

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Phone scams

Police say they get calls every week about phone scams. (WSBT photo)

By WSBT News1

Story Created: May 22, 2008 at 9:09 PM EST

Story Updated: May 27, 2008 at 6:46 AM EST

SOUTH BEND — Do not call lists may stop solicitors but they won't stop scammers. Police say if you're on the list and still getting calls from credit card companies, there's a good chance someone is trying to steal your personal information.

Police say they get calls every week about phone scams. It's happening every day, and all it takes is access to some public information and minutes for your identity to be taken.

Marilyn Lidecker was watching TV Thursday afternoon when her phone rang. She didn't recognize the number.

"The gal said she was calling and was this Marilyn? And I said who's calling?" said Lidecker. "She [the caller] said, 'It's Medicare.' I said, 'Medicare doesn't call me,' so I hung up."

Lidecker took down the number — a land line originating out of Portland, Oregon.

"I knew Medicare doesn't call you, like IRS doesn't call you. I have heard of scams before, so I just hung up," she said.

And she's right.

On its website, Medicare says don't give your information to anyone who comes to your home or calls you uninvited.

It's the same advice police give.

"Don't talk to these people. Don't worry about being polite," said Detective Sgt. Dominic Zultanksi.

Police say people will call pretending to be from Medicare or a credit card company — even if you are on a Do Not Call list.

"They will call as many people as fast as possible," said Zultanski.

He says they often use stolen phone lines.

It's another scam Lidecker is familiar with.

"About three years ago, I was getting calls and they were saying they were calling from VISA," she said.

She discovered the scammers were trying to tap into her line to make other calls.

"I get furious," said Lidecker.

Not everyone is as lucky.

Another scammer called people who had recently lost a spouse pretending to be from a credit card company. The scammer convinced at least one man into giving his full credit card number, expiration date, and security code.

Police say the scammer who made that phone call was able to get all the information he needed to make the call through an obituary the victim had placed in the paper for his wife.

Zultanksi has set up a website with information to protect yourself from fraud at www.IDTheftrecovery.info.

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