“Sheriff's office warning says thieves offering free medical test”

Sheriff's office warning says thieves offering free medical test

Posted: 28 Nov 2010 05:33 AM PST

CHILLICOTHE -- Beware of phone calls circulating asking for medical card information.

The Ross County Sheriff's Office is alerting residents of a new scam reported this week. Deputy Dave Weber said the caller claimed to be doing a survey for Walgreens and offered free diabetes testing equipment. In order to get the equipment, the caller said he needed a Medicare or Medicaid number.

"He got looking at his card and it's nothing more than his Social Security number. He was smart enough to realize he shouldn't do that," Weber said.

Although Weber has received only one report of the phone scam, he wants to alert people and remind them to not give out any personal information or account numbers over the telephone.

The Ohio Attorney General's Office offers the following tips to avoid phone scams:

Guard your credit card number. Unless you are certain you are dealing with a reputable organization and you initiated the call yourself, do not give your credit card number over the phone.
Take your time. If someone tells you to "act now" or to keep the transaction a secret, be skeptical. Don't be pressured into making a rash decision. Talk to trusted family members and friends for advice.
Get information in writing. Demand callers send you written information before you send any money. If they refuse, don't trust them. Under Ohio's Telephone Solicitation Sales Act, a purchase is not valid until the telemarketer receives written confirmation from the consumer. Once you get written information, review it carefully and make sure the company has a physical address -- not just a P.O. Box. Verify the address is real.
Do your research. Check a company's reputation by contacting the Ohio Attorney General's Office and the Better Business Bureau before doing business with them. Before doing business with any company, verify that the company is registered with the Secretary of State to do business in Ohio.
Don't pay to play. No purchase is required to enter or win a contest, except for those involving the state lottery or licensed nonprofit charities.
Be wary of requests for money orders or wire transfers. If you receive a request to wire transfer money to another country, be careful. Many victims of foreign lottery scams and advance-fee loan scams are instructed to send money via wire transfer, because wire transferring is fast and transfer agents are available in most communities.
Watch out for phony insurance plans. Some of the worst scams involve the sale of identity theft insurance, telemarketing fraud prevention plans and phony medical plans. Before you sign up, contact the Ohio Department of Insurance to make sure a company is licensed to sell insurance in Ohio.
When in doubt, hang up the phone. If something seems fishy, it probably is.
Report suspicious calls. If you suspect fraud, report it to the Ohio Attorney General's office at (800) 282-0515a.

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