Crime & Safety
Costco Phone Scam: DA's Office Issues Warning
People think they're taking a survey but end up the victim of identity theft.
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office issued a scam alert Monday to notify residents of phone calls from callers pretending to be from Costco Wholesale.
The callers offer $500 travel vouchers, Costco cash cards or a reduced travel package if the resident takes a survey that asks for their personal information, prosecutors said. Callers then use that information to commit identity theft.
Costco Wholesale has confirmed that the callers do not work for the company in any capacity. Though the calls may say they are coming from Contra Costa County, authorities warn that the calls are not local, but
rather are made using software to hide their real location.
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To report this or any telephone scam, people can call the Federal Trade Commission at (877) FTC-HELP or report it to the District Attorney's Office by emailing DA-ReportFraud@contracostada.org or calling (866)
223-7283.
— Bay City News; Image via Shutterstock
Find out what's happening in Walnut Creekfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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