Call Forwarding Scam

A new identity theft scam uses call forwarding technology to empty victims' bank accounts.

In a typical case, a victim receives a phone call from someone who claims to be a bank employee investigating why correspondence from the bank has supposedly been returned. Then comes a series of leading questions designed to learn the name of the victim's bank, along with credit card and account numbers.

Impersonating the victim, the scammer contacts the victim's phone service provider to verify that the victim's line has call forwarding. Then, posing as a phone worker, the scammer instructs the victim either to leave the phone off the hook or not to answer it for an hour to allow for system maintenance.

The scammer dials in codes that forward calls to a number controlled by the scammer. The scammer then uses the account information to transfer money out of the victim's account via Western Union and to make fraudulent credit card purchases. Call forwarding sends verification calls to the scammer, not the victim. Thousands of dollars can be stolen in this way in less than an hour.

Authorities warn against providing any personal or financial information over the phone unless you have initiated the call and have obtained the number from an independent source, such as the telephone directory.