Couple Fights Possible Phone Scam

PLAIN CITY, Ohio -- The changing economy is changing the way scam artists are trying to separate you from your money.

The Ohio Attorney General’s office is seeing an increase in complaints from people receiving phone calls from people claiming to be owed money or that a relative is in need of help.

Over the weekend, a Plain City couple experienced just that –- a man claiming to be an attorney demanding payment on an outstanding debt.

The couple is newly engaged and trying to start a new life together. They said they never thought they’d have to call the police about calls they received on their cell phones.

A man claiming to be a lawyer called Amanda Wiant and her fiance, Shane Mason, saying Wyant owed more than $600 to a company called Cashco.

Wiant said she has never done business with that company and was surprised to learn the caller had her checking account number.

The caller made inappropriate remarks to Mason about his mother and hung up on Mason when he asked questions.

NBC 4 called the number left on Mason's voicemail. The man who answered would not take any questions and hung up the phone.

Wiant and her fiancé filed a report against the company, called National Affidavit Processing Services, with the Plain City police department and called the Federal Trade Commission, along with three credit bureaus to protect herself.

The Ohio Attorney General's Office says to never give out personal information over the phone.

You can check with the Ohio Secretary of State's Office to see if a business is registered in Ohio.

You can also file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau in your area if you think you are being scammed.

Visit http://www.speakoutohio.gov or call 800-282-0515 for more information.

AVOID PHONE SCAMS
These tips came from the office of Attorney General Richard Cordray.

- Don’t give out personal information over the phone.

- Never give personal information, such as your Social Security number or bank account number, to anyone you don’t know.

- Guard your credit-card number. Unless you are certain that you are dealing with a reputable organization and you initiated the call yourself, do not give your credit-card number over the phone.

- Take your time. If someone tells you to “act now” or to keep the transaction a secret, be skeptical. Don’t be pressured into making a rash decision. Talk to trusted family members and friends for advice.

- Get information in writing. Demand that callers send you written information before you send any money. If they refuse, don’t trust them. Under Ohio’s Telephone Solicitation Sales Act, a purchase is not valid until the telemarketer receives written confirmation from the consumer. Once you get written information, review it carefully and make sure the company has a physical address—not just a P.O. Box. Verify that the address is real.

- Do your research. Check a company’s reputation by contacting the Ohio Attorney General’s office and the Better Business Bureau before doing business with them. Before doing business with any company verify that they are registered with the Secretary of State to do business in Ohio. Go to http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/businessServices.aspx

- Don’t pay to play. No purchase is required to enter or win a contest, except for state lottery sales and licensed non-profit charities.

- Be wary of requests for money orders or wire transfers. If you receive a request to wire transfer money to another country, be careful. Many victims of foreign lottery scams and advance-fee loan scams are instructed to send money via wire transfer, because wire transferring is fast, and transfer agents are available in most communities.

- Watch out for phony insurance plans. Some of the worst scams involve the sale of identity theft insurance, telemarketing fraud prevention plans and phony medical plans. Before you sign up, contact the Ohio Department of Insurance to make sure a company is licensed to sell insurance in Ohio.

- When in doubt, hang up the phone. If something seems fishy, it probably is.

For additional information, stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com -- Where Accuracy Matters.
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