http://www.caller.com/news/2011/jul/12/traffic-ticket-scam-uses-legitimate-phone/

Traffic ticket scam uses legitimate phone numbers
• By Mary Ann Cavazos
• Posted July 12, 2011 at 12:33 p.m., updated July 12, 2011 at 12:49 p.m.
 

CORPUS CHRISTI — A Corpus Christi attorney says his law office's phone number has been illegally used in a debt collection scam for unpaid traffic tickets.
 

Someone claiming to be from Chris Iles' office called a woman and told her she had warrants out for her arrest because of unpaid traffic tickets. The call didn't go further because the woman walked into an elevator and lost her signal.
 

Iles found out about the incident last week after the woman tried to reach the caller using the phone number that appeared on her caller ID.
 

Iles said he reported the incident to authorities because he doesn't want anyone to fall victim to the scheme. He also pointed out he practices only criminal defense and doesn't handle traffic tickets.
 

The scenario follows a version of an ongoing scam to trick people into thinking it is a legitimate debt collection call, according to the Better Business Bureau.
 

The calls may seem to come from real phone numbers in the U.S. but likely originate from overseas countries. Some people have reported that the callers have thick, Indian accents, said Gabriel Perales, the bureau's trade practices manager.
 

The bureau last month sent out an alert on a similar version of the scam, in which callers claiming to be from the Texas Department of Public Safety demand payment on red-light camera tickets.
 

It also is common for scammers to use scare tactics to convince a person to reveal personal information or pay a debt they don't actually owe, Perales added.
The bureau recommends ways to handle such calls:
 

Demand proof by asking for a telephone number for contacting someone directly about the call. Legitimate creditors also should be able to send details about the debt through the mail.
 

Avoid giving out personal information over the phone such as bank account numbers, credit card information or Social Security numbers until confirming whether the call is legitimate.

Report any suspicious activity through a complaint to the bureau. If the caller becomes abusive or threatening, complaints also can be filed with the Texas Attorney General's Office.

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