A local mom is warning other parents of a scam phone call that she received on Tuesday that felt “very real” and left her in tears and panicked.
“When I answered, a woman was hysterically screaming on the other line. I couldn’t understand what was being said,” said Charlie Rose. “A man then got on the phone and stated he was a police officer and asked me to state my name to ‘verify’ who I was before telling me that my daughter had been in a car accident.”
Rose, who thought her daughter was at school, began to feel sick as the man on the phone told her “the person she was with was in a car accident at Walmart.”
“By this point I was crying and panicked. I thought Sophie was at school and in a raised voice said, ‘who is she with’ before the phone went silent and the call ended.”
Fearing the worst, Rose called the school while her co-worker called the police department.
“The school stated that Sophie was fine, playing, and having a great day and the police said that the call was fake.”
After the terrifying ordeal, Rose took to social media to share her story with the hope of warning other parents should they get a similar call.
“I’m still determining what the caller wanted to gain. They might have wanted me to come to Walmart or give them information,” said Rose. “I’m sharing this to inform you all that these phone calls are happening, and they feel very real. Please be cautious if you receive anything like this.”
The scam call came from the phone number 903-297-6910.
The Federal Trade Commission Consumer Advice says that most calls of this nature pressure you to quickly send them money – but slow down and verify because its likely a scam.
Here are some tactics scammers use in fake emergency scams:
- Scammers might pretend to be an “authority figure,” like a fake lawyer, police officer, or doctor working with your family member. It makes them sound more convincing, and they hope it scares you.
- Some scammers use artificial intelligence (AI) to clone your loved one’s voice. With a short audio clip — maybe from content posted online — and a voice-cloning program, a scammer could call you and sound just like your family member.
What do fake emergency scams have in common?
- The scammer will say it’s urgent and that you’re the only one who can help.
- The scammer might tell you it’s important to keep it secret. They don’t want you talking to other family members and friends and realizing it’s a scam.
- The scammers will play with your emotions. They’re counting on you to act quickly to help your family or friend. And they’re counting on you to pay without stopping to check out whether there’s really an emergency. If you get a call like this, you can be sure this is a scam.
If someone calls or sends a message claiming to be a family member or a friend desperate for money, don’t trust the voice on the line — even if it sounds like your family member or friend. Scammers are good at faking it. Here’s what to do to verify the person’s identity:
- Resist the pressure to react and send money immediately. Hang up — or tell the person you’ll call them right back. If you don’t feel comfortable hanging up, try asking a question only the real person would know the answer to, like “What kind of dog do you have?” or “Where did you spend Thanksgiving last year?”
- Use a phone number you know is right to call or message the family member or friend who (supposedly) contacted you. Ask them if they’re really in trouble.
- Call someone else in your family or circle of friends, even if the caller said to keep it a secret — or sounds like a loved one. Do that especially if you can’t reach the friend or family member who’s supposed to be in trouble. A trusted person can help you figure out whether the story is true.
For more information from the FTC, click here
Of course, you can always call the police should you receive a call of this nature.
