Warning of Possible Scam Phone Call from local Villagers

[aussiemom]

Decided people on totv don't think there are any dishonest people here in tv, so have deleted the info about possible scam.

Sheriffs dept has info and has handled it.

[Skip]

So did you call the Sheriff's Dept. ?

Skip

[MikeV]

Could be a spoofed number. There are plenty of programs that will allow you to do that. I would still call the Sheriff and at least report the call.

[2BNTV]

Call the sherriff, as anyone would deny they made such a call!!!!

You have info that may be needed by the sherriff department, for future use, to catch illegal activities!!!

[KathieI]

Could be a spoofed number. There are plenty of programs that will allow you to do that. I would still call the Sheriff and at least report the call.

MikeV,,, by "spoofed" number, do you mean that someone from another part of the country or another country, could tie into a local number and make a call from it?? I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case, I doubt very much that a local person would make the call using his own number??? It always amazes me how these computer geniuses can figure out ways to scam into our phone numbers and use them to make calls?? Oh well, I'm old and will never understand 1/2 of this stuff.

I agree with other posters, I would still tell the Sheriff's office, just as an fyi.

[Lovey2]

Could be a spoofed number. There are plenty of programs that will allow you to do that. I would still call the Sheriff and at least report the call.

explain how this works, if you can. We get every day a call from "St. Kitts", which we never pick up. Don't know anybody there and can't imagine why I'd be getting a call from there. I remember reading once, tho, about calls from some islands and when you answer they have access to your phone line to make calls, or something like that. Do you remember that whole thing? Is that maybe what you're talking about?

[graciegirl]

This is just a bit of info on a possible scam and wonder if anyone else received a call from the people below?

Just received a phone call from a woman claiming to be with my credit card fraud dept and said there were numerous suspicious charges recently.

I kept asking her what credit card company but she just stuck to her script. It sounded like she was was about to ask for some more info from me, but I knew something was wrong with the call. I have caller ID and I knew it was a local phone number, so knew something was up.

Not sure if anyone else has gotten a call like this but the name and phone number of the woman calling was:

R & D Trawinski, 352-750-3680. I looked the name up and yes, they do live here in TV (address is listed in our Villages Phone Book). Some of you may even know them, or live near them.

I did call the number back about 10 minutes after the call and some older gentleman answered and when I wanted to know why they were making such a call to my number, he just stumbled a bit with over his words and said, no, no one from here would make any call. Sounded a bit shocked that I would call back. I just said I don't know what scam they are trying to pull but I did plan on calling the Sheriff's Dept. He just hung up on me then.

So, not sure exactly what game they are playing but I sure hope they don't get some unsuspecting individual who will give them any of their credit card info.

So if the above name and phone number appear on your phone......don't give them any info.


I know you know this, but is there any reason you may have got the most recent called number mixed up with someone you know or someone who had a reason to call? I have done that, getting a call and thinking I was returning a call and it was the person who had called me BEFORE the one I wanted.


I hope that you have called the sheriff or Lady Lake Police or whoever is the law enforcement in your jurisdiction. For you and for all of us.


I would do that before I published a name and phone number. I am sure you did.

[JourneyOfLife]

Do an internet search on the words... You will get a large number of hits.

As usual, someone has put up a wikipedia article that summarizes it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caller_ID_spoofing


We handle any calls coming from anyone we do not know (know their voice) as untrusted and suspect. Especially if the call is about money (in any way) or information or is out of the ordinary.

[Bogie Shooter]

explain how this works, if you can. We get every day a call from "St. Kitts", which we never pick up. Don't know anybody there and can't imagine why I'd be getting a call from there. I remember reading once, tho, about calls from some islands and when you answer they have access to your phone line to make calls, or something like that. Do you remember that whole thing? Is that maybe what you're talking about?

Just Google the phone number and you will get the explanation.

[aussiemom]

Yes, did call the Marion County Sheriffs office.

[CassieInVa]

Criminals probably just used a random local number via spoof program. Im sure if the local people were criminals they would at least block their number before calling you?

[claricecolin]

I too am pretty sure that was a spoofed number. Dad has gotten a few from a "credit card" company and a "charity". I think since most people are becoming aware not to answer a number not familiar scammers are taking the next step. They are counting on phone being picked up by with just looking at caller ID could possibly be someone they might know. Spoofing evidently is not that hard to do. Just a matter of tricking the caller ID to thinking the call is coming from another number. Could be another city, state or country.

[loonlovers]

I received a two different calls several weeks back. One call was identified as Verizon and the other caller id had a Villagers name and number. Both calls were for a credit card service. I called The Villagers number and spoke with a very nice gentlemen (listed in TV phonebook) who had no idea this was happening. He could easily have hung up on me since he had no idea who I was!

I called both Verizon and Century Link (phone service provider for the Villager and myself) but didn't report to the Sheriff.

I think you may have done a disservice to the Villager by listing his name and number. He may be the innocent subject of spoofing. Just MHO!

[Bogie Shooter]

Easy to get local numbers, they are posted right here every day.

[dillywho]

Yes, did call the Marion County Sheriffs office this morning and they went over to their home. They of course deny they did it. Their name & number is on my caller ID and my Comcast records show all numbers in and out, so we have that for confirmation. Sheriff's dept is now aware and said they will monitor more closely now for more such activity. And for anyone to think that someone from TV couldn't do such a thing...........think again. Often it is those that you least suspect.

So if anyone gets this type of call, report it....the more info Sheriff Depts have on this type of activity, easier for them to put a case together.

This sounds more and more like it is one of the spoofed calls. Please at least consider that it could very well be. If, in fact that is the case, think of how you would feel if it had been your name and number spoofed.:pray:

[loonlovers]

Easy to get local numbers, they are posted right here every day.

Bogie, my concern was that an innocent and unsuspecting individual may have had his name, phone number and reputation attached to an illegal activity.

[graciegirl]

This sounds more and more like it is one of the spoofed calls. Please at least consider that it could very well be. If, in fact that is the case, think of how you would feel if it had been your name and number spoofed.:pray:

This is my instinctive reaction too, Dillywho,


The OP naturally feels invaded and worried, but it seems that a spoof might be what happened.


I am trying to be KINDLY skeptical.

[Lovey2]

From what I can get from Google (thanks for the tip) the St.Kitts #'s are actually looking for people to call back, thereby charging your phone # up to $20 a minute. Not clear how that all works, and not sure that's what happening. According to Google, they only let the phone ring once, arousing the homeowners curiosity so they call back. They let mine ring several times, and we never pick up, but it's most likely the same thing. I knew I had read something about this before. Thanks for the Google tip.

[casita37]

I don't answer my phone, period, unless I see it is someone I know for sure. If it's legit, they can leave a message.

[Bogie Shooter]

Easy to get local numbers, they are posted right here every day.

Bogie, my concern was that an innocent and unsuspecting individual may have had his name, phone number and reputation attached to an illegal activity.

I was saying the bad guys can search the Internet to get local numbers, some from TOTV.

[Carla B]

Something like that happened at our house recently. Can't remember exactly what the caller was trying to sell. I looked up the name in the phone book. The address listed is on the historic side. I called the number and asked the lady if she was aware that somebody was using her number. (She wasn't). It was obvious that she didn't know anything about it. We had a nice chat about intrusive phone calls. We both had CenturyLink land lines.

Last week my husband answered a call from me on my cell phone. The caller ID displayed the right number, wrong name. So who is at fault for that? T-Mobile or Comcast (which we now have), or the person whose name showed up on Caller I.D.? Best not to jump to conclusions and damage someone's name publicly.

[BobnBev]

I don't answer my phone, period, unless I see it is someone I know for sure. If it's legit, they can leave a message.

Same here!!!

[aussiemom]

Guess it's OK for everyone on here to bad mouth restaurants, businesses, staff at local establishments, bad neighbors, dog walkers, etc (often by name), but my message warning of a possible scam is taken as one that was done with malice, which it wasn't. Sorry that the only result of all this was to kill the messenger.

[Bogie Shooter]

This is just a bit of info on a possible scam and wonder if anyone else received a call from the people below?

Just received a phone call from a woman claiming to be with my credit card fraud dept and said there were numerous suspicious charges recently.

I kept asking her what credit card company but she just stuck to her script. It sounded like she was was about to ask for some more info from me, but I knew something was wrong with the call. I have caller ID and I knew it was a local phone number, so knew something was up.

Not sure if anyone else has gotten a call like this but the name and phone number of the woman calling was:

R & D Trawinski, 352-750-3680. I looked the name up and yes, they do live here in TV (address is listed in our Villages Phone Book). Some of you may even know them, or live near them.

I did call the number back about 10 minutes after the call and some older gentleman answered and when I wanted to know why they were making such a call to my number, he just stumbled a bit with over his words and said, no, no one from here would make any call. Sounded a bit shocked that I would call back. I just said I don't know what scam they are trying to pull but I did plan on calling the Sheriff's Dept. He just hung up on me then.

So, not sure exactly what game they are playing but I sure hope they don't get some unsuspecting individual who will give them any of their credit card info.

So if the above name and phone number appear on your phone......don't give them any info.

I posted exactly what was on my caller ID (public record).........name & phone number and alerted people that this name & number was claiming to be a credit card fraud dept. The voice on the call was that of an elderly woman (not that of a younger or middle age person). And as I said, I did call the number back for them to explain, reaction was a bit strange and I did inform them I was contacting the Sheriffs Dept.

The Sheriffs Dept did go visit them and talked to them. They said they did not do it. Maybe they were spoofed, maybe not, but if they were, now they know someone is using their name and phone number to call people and should be aware of it and see what they can do about it.

I also mentioned it here, thinking should anyone else here get the same type of call from this name & number, they too should contact Sheriffs Dept. as they will monitor this more closely, especially if they get more reports. I guess I am just one of the few that doesn't believe that everyone living in TV is honest and would never do such a thing.

Guess it's OK for everyone on here to bad mouth restaurants, businesses, staff at local establishments, bad neighbors, dog walkers, etc (often by name), but my message warning of a possible scam is taken as one that was done with malice, which it wasn't. Sorry that the only result of all this was to kill the messenger. Bye TOTV
You should go back and read you OP. Very strong talk to the gentlemen you called. Did you ever think that maybe he thought you were a scammer??? Talking to him about something he had no idea what you were talking about.
With your approach of accusing...............I would have hung up as well.

[gardeniagirl]

I'm an out of state owner in the villages. I live in NC, and have gotten calls here, as you describe, and the number shows on my caller ID as a person in another state, or can be local. When I called them, it is evident they were not the ones calling. There is a way scammers can "spoof" another number and it shows on your caller ID as that person, when they didn't call. I talked to a person, by the name on my caller ID and the gentleman said they had gotten many irate people calling them, which was not them doing the calling. These scammers would NOT call with their number showing......they are cowards. I think it was not who you think it was. I don't answer or hang up immediately. Don't give out any information on the phone.

[yvonne101]

If you got any info on phone scams, I think you should share it so others get warned. Phone scams seem to be prevalent nowadays.

[yvonne101]

Or you could have at least reported the phone number to Report Phone Number to CallerCenter.com (http://www.callercenter.com) to raise a warning.

[Carla B]

Or you could have at least reported the phone number to Report Phone Number to CallerCenter.com (http://www.callercenter.com) to raise a warning.

Thanks for the link to the site. I searched for a couple numbers that constantly call my number and found there were lots of complaints about these callers.

However, the posts here concerned a local phone number that was probably "taken over" by scammers.