Scam Alert: Some cell phone upgrades not legit

The Raceland man thought he could trust the call asking if he wanted an upgrade to her cell phone service.

It had come from his service provider … or so he thought.

Only after giving away his Social Security number to a thief who already had some vital personal information did the man realize he was had. Now the caper has a Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office case number, but not much hope of being solved.

“This is the phone equivalent of an internet ‘phishing’ scam,”said Sheriff Craig Webre, who is warning residents against falling for the ruse. “While navigating through Web sites or email, you may encounter a message or pop-up window that appears to be from a legitimate company asking for sensitive account information. The sole purpose is to steal your identity. This phone scam works the same way.

Webre said the goal of the calls is not always identity theft, and could be “slamming.”

That’s a way for a phone company to illegally switch your service to them, without telling you they are not your established cell phone service provider.

“You may end up with a package that seemed better up front, but ends up costing much more in the end,” said Sheriff Webre. “Regardless, if a company had to intentionally deceive you to obtain your business, it’s probably best to assume they are not trustworthy.”

Webre says residents can protect themselves from becoming the next victim by following the standard protocol to avoid scams.

“It is best to never to give personal information on an incoming call,” Webre said. “If you think the call might be legitimate, simply inform the caller that you will contact the company yourself to ensure the call is legitimate. If the caller tries to convince you otherwise, provides you an unverified call-back number, or requires immediate action, it is almost assuredly a scam.”

‘It is best to

never give

personal

information

on an

incoming

call.’

Sheriff Craig Webre