LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – An incoming call may appear to come from a trusted bank or credit union, but Lake County deputies are urging residents to be cautious before handing over any personal or account information by phone.
According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, scammers are using caller ID spoofing to disguise their numbers, sometimes displaying the names and phone numbers of local financial institutions to make the calls seem authentic.
Donna Rider said she was targeted soon after completing an online purchase. When her phone rang, the caller ID appeared to show McCoy Federal Credit Union.
“I got a call from McCoy asking me if it was fraud, and I said no, that I purchased it,” Rider said. “And then they kept on asking me questions.”
The conversation became suspicious when the caller instructed Rider to change the password on her bank account, a request that immediately made her uneasy.
Rather than continue the call or share more details, Rider stopped giving information and went directly to her bank the following day.
“They said it was a scam,” she said.
Phone-security experts say the tactic is common and not difficult to pull off. Alex Quilici, CEO of YouMail, a company that monitors robocall activity nationwide, said scammers can place a call while entering another phone number, causing that false number to appear on the recipient’s caller ID.
Quilici said victims may have difficulty recovering money after falling for these scams.
“The number one thing to do is say, ‘I’m going to call you back,’” Quilici said.
Residents should hang up and contact their bank or credit card company using a phone number from an official statement, bank card or the institution’s website. They should not use a number provided by the caller.
Stephanie Earley of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said people accused of running these scams could face charges including scheme to defraud, fraud, grand theft, petit theft, fraudulent use of identification, or fraudulent use of a debit or credit card.
