Verizon Refund Scam: Don't Fall For It

OSWEGO, IL — Oswego police are warning about a resurgence of a popular telephone scam in which the culprit uses a "spoof" number that appears to be coming from Verizon Wireless customer service. The phony phone calls inform the recipient of a "billing error" resulting in an overcharge, offering a credit to the person's Verizon account.

"The caller may say there was a billing error resulting in an overcharge and will offer a credit to the account. But first, the callers say, they need your account password or PIN," police said on Facebook. "DO NOT PROVIDE IT! You should always be the one to initiate a call that requires you to give out any personal information."

Variations of the scam have directed people to fake websites where they are told to enter their account information to get the refund.

Police added:

The best way to avoid this and similar types of fraud is to not answer calls from unfamiliar numbers and refuse to share any personal information on any unsolicited calls. That includes giving out your name, address, any part of an account password or Social Security number, credit card number, bank account information, etc. If you are unsure, hang up and call a company’s official customer service number.
Be smart, don’t share personal information with people you don’t know.

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