Phishing Scam Takes A Legal Twist

Shaw Capital Management Factoring >>Warning: Phishing Scam Takes a Legal Twist

Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is warning consumers against giving out personal information to unknown callers. Scammers have recently been using the name of legitimate law firms to trick victims across the country into giving out bank information, credit card numbers and other private information.

Victims report receiving calls from individuals using a fake name and an untraceable phone number, who say they work with a law firm in the victim’s area.

The callers claim the firm is suing the victim on behalf of a payday loan provider. The caller goes on to say the victim defaulted on a loan and demands payment and other personal information. Victims may not remember taking out such a loan, but some cases have been linked to security breaches at financial institutions.

There are other variations of this scam. Callers pretend to be law enforcement or government officials collecting on a range of outstanding debts, from loans to traffic tickets. Should the potential victim refuse to pay, the scammers threaten anything from a lawsuit to arrest.

Hundreds of people around the country have reported falling victim to these types of scams. In order to protect your personal information, BBB offers the following tips:

Demand proof. The caller should identify who they are and, upon request, provide you with a telephone nu...