HPD Warns Residents of Spoof Phone Calls
The Hilliard Division of Police recently received a report from a resident about a situation in which a caller "spoofed" the City of Hilliard's number and told the resident who answered the call that they wanted to help them save money on their electric bill. This is not legitimate.
Spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity. Never assume an unexpected call is legitimate. Hang up and call back using a phone number you can verify on an official website.
Be suspicious. Con artists can be very convincing: They may ask innocuous questions, or sound threatening, or make offers that are too good to be true.
Don't give out personal information – account numbers, social security numbers or passwords – or answer security questions.
If you have concerns that you are being scammed, hang up and call the organization back directly. Spoofing can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission.
