TeleTown Hall Offers Tips For Dealing with Scammers

Nope – no one will call you to serve you with a warrant over-the-phone. When a scammer calls, keep yourself in a calm state, and always report an attempted scam to the Federal Trade Commission.

Those may have been the biggest take-a-ways from AARP Wyoming’s Sept. 29 TeleTown Hall featuring members of the US Attorney’s Office, the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office, and Wyoming’s Adult Protective Services office offer their tips for avoiding scams and fraud. On all, over 600 Wyomingites too part in the call.

The TeleTown Hall kicked off at 6:30 p.m. with Bob Beck of Wyoming Public Radio, and AARP Wyoming State Director Sam Shumway offering a welcome before turning the line over to their guests. US Attorney for the District of Wyoming, Mark Klaassen and Assistant US Attorney Eric Heimann both took turns explaining the office’s interest in fighting elder financial exploitation. Heimann also ran down a few of the more common fraud schemes being seen around the state.

Ben Burningham, a Senior Assistant Attorney General in the office’s Consumer Protection division followed suit with his own rundown of what the AG’s office does around scams and fraud. Jane Carlson of Wyoming’s Adult Protective Services, then explained how her office works to protect Wyoming residents.

The open phone line offered some of the more interesting discussion of the evening. One caller said she had been contacted via phone and told she had outstanding warrants out for her arrest. She was directed to call a number to address the warrants, which she did not. The US Attorney’s Office pointed out that isn’t standard operating procedure for any US governmental entity and praised her for her decision-making.

“We do not execute warrants over the phone, and I can’t think of any agency that does,” remarks Klaassen. “If someone calls and you aren’t sure if they are legitimate, find their number online or in the phonebook and ask them. But don’t do it using the method that the caller is trying to get you to use.”

Scams via telephone were a favored point of conversation among the TeleTown Hall callers. Burningham pointed out that scammers typically use an emotional plea to get you into a state where it is difficult to maintain clear thought.

“My best advice is to take your time and slow down,” he says. “Take the time to verify the identity independently through the company. Also, consider how someone on the other side of the phone is asking you to make a payment. If you pay by credit card there are some consumer protections built in and if you are scammed a company may be able to help.”

Heimann agrees, saying if someone is asking you to send them money via a pre-paid gift card, or pre-paid debit card, it is likely a scam. He adds, it is also important to understand once you are scammed, it is unlikely you will ever see that money again.

“Schemes like that tend to give you hope that you can get your money back and they pull you in. Then you become a money mule, scamming from other people,” Heimann says. “You really have to admit to yourself that the money is gone.”

Carlson says her agency works with local law enforcement to stop the bleeding when they find out someone has been scammed. That means turning off the financial funding source to a scammer. However, she warns that many victims refuse to believe they are being taken advantage of by a scammer, friend, or family member.

In each case, the foursome said many smart people have been scammed and will continue to be. It is important if you believe you have been the victim of a scam to report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint. At that point, the complaint can be matched with other complaints in hopes that the bad guys can be tracked down.