Beware of warranty scams

These vehicle warranty scams either leave a recorded voice mail explaining that your vehicle warranty will soon expire. They will leave you a message with a 1-800 number to call. Or, there is a recorded voice asking you to press ‘1’ to speak to an agent.

These scams artists are skilled in using pressure and urgency to get you to give them information. In truth, they do not know what type of car you own or if you even have one, never mind what type of warranty you have.

As with any telephone solicitation, the advice is always the same: Never give any personal information over the phone, especially anything containing numbers like a birth date, social insurance, or credit card.

Never tell strangers that you live alone. If someone calls asking to speak to a deceased spouse, say, “He cannot come to the phone right now,” and ask to take a message.

Get in the habit of saying ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ if you are single and speaking to strangers. This includes the message you leave on your answering machine: “We are unable to take your call right now.”

Never let any caller pressure you into any decisions. This is a sure sign it is likely a scam. Never send money or give financial information. It is best to simply say that you don’t do business over the phone and hang up. That’s it.

Consider getting a handheld phone with call display and voice mail. Answer only calls from numbers you recognize. If it’s important, others will leave a message.

As for the warranty scam, contact the dealership where you purchased the car for accurate information. If you have given your credit card information, contact your banking institution as soon as possible. Or call Digby’s RCMP detachment at 245-2579 and ask for me, Dawn Thomas.

You also can register a complaint with Phonebusters, the Canadian anti-fraud call centre. Contact them toll free at 1-888-495-8501, by mail at Box 686, North Bay, Ont., P1B 8J8, or email info@phonebusters.com Dawn Thomas is seniors’ safety coordinator for the Town and Municipality of Digby