Skip to content

Opinion: Judy Benham--Phone Scams

Hi, Macie, I don't know if you like news tips, but in case you do, I'd like to share something that might help others. For days I've been getting phone calls from "Chase." It shows a phone number, but no message was left until yesterday.
Typewriter opinion
Photo by Alexa Mazzarello on Unsplash

This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

Hi, Macie,

I don't know if you like news tips, but in case you do, I'd like to share something that might help others.

For days I've been getting phone calls from "Chase." It shows a phone number, but no message was left until yesterday. (I screen these calls, as I get up to 10 unwanted calls a day; many of them are scams.) They said they needed to contact me immediately about my Chase credit card. I called the number that showed up on my caller ID. They thanked me for calling back and said there was a problem with one of my credit cards. They listed a long variety of credit cards related to Chase Banks.

It sounded very official, using the same words and prompts I get when I call for a credit card balance or have some other question. But I knew it was a scam immediately. I was so angry that they do this and innocent victims get caught up in these scams, I really told them off and hung up.

Then I called the number listed on my credit card for customer service. They said it had to be a scam because there were no problems with either of the Chase credit cards I have. They would not call under normal circumstances, and if for some reason it was legitimate, I should still hang up and call the number on the back of my credit cards.

The phone number on my caller ID was 210-520-6400. They probably use other numbers, as well. They sounded so authentic, I don't know what triggered my awareness, but I went from "Hello" to absolutely furious in about 15 seconds. (I live in Longmont, but it's probably area-wide if not nation-wide.)

I didn't call the police, because I don't think there's anything they can do.

Sincerely,

Judy Benham

Longmont Resident