Phone Fraud

I received a phone call tonight at around 9:45 pm from a man stating he was from the Long Island Home show and that I won a trip from Vacation Village resorts in the Berkshires. He stated that I also won $125 in Visa gift cards. He then asked that I put my husband on the phone so that the 3 of us could talk to the vacation planning department (I didn't tell him I had a husband so it was very odd when he asked for him). Well, I told the man that I didn't have another line. He asked me if I could get another line from a neighbors house. I told him I wasn't going to bother my neighbors at this hour. He then proceeded to tell me he was one step in a two step process and could not help me (remember he called me) unless I got my husband on the phone. I asked him to provide me his credentials (the company name and phone number). Instead of providing the information, he immediately stated he'd transfer me to the vacation planner and instead hung up the phone. The caller ID had this phone number 757-947-0249 and this name "Vac Vil Resort".

This is a warning to all my friends and family! DO NOT provide any personal information over the phone to anyone that calls you or requests that you call them. If someone does call you, ask for their company information and Google them to ensure it is the correct company. Also ask them how you can contact them and call them back. NEVER provide your personal information. This is the latest scam in identity theft and it's rampant.

Let me know if you've had anything like this happen to you lately. Also, if this does happen, immediately report it to the Better Business Bureau, the FTC and your state Attorney General using the links below:

FTC Fraud Complaint Department - http://www.ftc.gov/phonefraud
Better Business Bureau - http://www.bbb.org/
State Attorney General - http://www.naag.org/attorneys_general.php
-s