Consumer Protection Division warns of false numbers on caller ID

The Sedgwick County Consumer Protection Division received scam reports about itself this week.

The division received two calls from consumers who said they missed calls from the Consumer Protection Division’s phone number, when no one from the division had called those consumers.

Scammers can manipulate the phone numbers that show up on caller ID.

“Because of these applications that people can use to make their (caller) ID show something that it’s not, everybody has to treat each call with suspicion,” said Sharon Werner, chief attorney for the Sedgwick County Consumer Protection Division.

Mariah Mahaney, administrative assistant for the division, said she’s seen an uptick in reports of scammers using phone numbers that appear to come from a county line, which starts with the exchange 316-660. She receives the scam reports for the county.

The division also received a report from three consumers who said they were contacted by a scammer who claimed that the individual was being sued. The scammer did not say who was suing the consumer, but likely would have solicited money, claiming it was to avoid being sued or to pay for legal fees.

It’s rare for legal information to be communicated over the phone. It almost always comes in paper form.

Werner said to be skeptical of anything that has a sense of incredible urgency.

Among other scams reported last week, the Consumer Protection Division saw a spike in IRS scams, with 19 reported. In that scam, someone calls and claims that the individual owes the IRS money. The IRS typically does not contact consumers by telephone.

If you think you’ve been the victim of a scam, or to report a scam, call the Consumer Protection Division at 316-660-3653.

This story was originally published December 4, 2015 at 7:36 PM with the headline "Consumer Protection Division warns of false numbers on caller ID."