Dear Red Phone,
Yesterday, I received that very persistent call from “Derrick Matthews,” a guy with an Indian accent so thick I could barely understand him. He called me back three times after I repeatedly hung up on him, and insisted I go to my computer and let him get access so he could fix the errors—or I was going to lose my Internet connection within the next half hour. What’s the deal with this scam?
Red Phone:
It seems like every time we report on a scam that’s reared its head locally, another one pops up that’s more conniving than the last. This particular ruse hasn’t been reported to police yet, according to Gilroy Police Department Sgt. Pedro Espinoza, but police get calls about aggressive telemarketers frequently.
Readers should always be cautious when dealing with threatening calls over the phone—particularly if the caller asks for sensitive personal or financial information.
“We remind community members to never provide personal information, including a Social Security number, drivers license, WiFi password, and others over the phone,” Espinoza said. “Always ask for a call back number to confirm the authenticity of the business. Most legitimate businesses and entities will not ask for this type of information.”
Recently, scammers have made victims out of local business owners after threatening to shut off utilities unless the proprietor immediately purchased a reloadable debit card and paid a supposedly overdue bill. While the method may be different, the scams rely on the same strategy: scaring a potential victim into giving up information scammers can use for their own benefit. Don’t buy it.
