MANSFIELD — Richland County Sheriff Steve Sheldon has issued an alert to the community of a phone scam that was received on Friday by a Richland Source employee.
In the ruse, a bogus text is sent to an individual involving a canceled credit card. The text is presented as a fraud alert. That is followed up by a call within five minutes on the cell phone asking for specific personal information, including the last four digits of a social security number. This is believed to be an attempt at identity theft.
Scammers now have the ability to use software to scrape data seeking credit card numbers that match cell phone numbers. As always, residents are urged not to give out personal information over the phone.
If you question the authenticity of a call from a credit card company, check the back of your credit card and call the number listed there. It’s also a good idea to monitor bank statements periodically.
Finally, keep an eye on elderly parents, family members, neighbors and friends. These people are frequently the most vulnerable and the most targeted members of the community.
