BBB warns of telephone scam

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown Better Business Bureau said Friday it has received several calls this week from consumers stating that they have received calls from the BBB of Ashtabula County.

The problem: The BBB of Ashtabula County does not exist.

As part of the scam, consumers report that they were asked to send money via a money order or prepaid credit card to win a cash prize.

A Niles consumer told the BBB he received a phone call from an 876-467-5439 phone number; the 876 exchange is a Jamaican area code.

The caller asked the consumer to go to his local CVS Pharmacy and send a Green Dot prepaid credit card.

If the consumer sent the prepaid card, he would receive a cash prize of $550,000.

Though the 876 exchange appears to be a domestic area code, it is an international pay-per-call phone number.

Other international exchanges include 809, 649 and 287.

The BBB, which says the above reference is a scam, urges consumers to remember the following guidelines when receiving a call from an unknown person:

Never provide any personal information to unknown callers, including bank information, Social Security number and contact information.

Never wire money to unidentified individuals. Wire transfers are untraceable, and there is no opportunity to recoup money if you have been duped.

If you’ve really won a prize, you don’t have to pay anything in advance — not a penny for taxes, fees or anything else. It’s illegal to charge upfront for a prize.