BBB Tip of the Week

Call-forwarding scams occur when a caller convinces you to dial *72, or 72# on some phones, and a phone number. Once dialed, the scammer can make collect or long-distance calls that are charged to your phone number.

A common form of this scam occurs when an inmate or someone claiming to have been just arrested calls collect. Often the scammer will tell a convincing story of family tragedy as a way to convince you to be generous and help them connect with their loved ones.

Other call-forwarding scams use a recording that tells you that a loved one is in the hospital or to inform you of the death of a loved one and directions to dial additional numbers in order to get more details.

In another version, the caller claims that you are the winner of a prize and must dial a 2-digit code and *72 followed by an 800 number to claim it. In this case, the scammer has directed you to forward your phone calls to a long-distance operator so that international calls will be charged to your number.

Call-forwarding scams can occur on landlines and mobile phones. Better Business Bureau offers the following tips to prevent and avoid this scam:

• If you think your phone has been forwarded unintentionally, dial *73, or 73# on some phones, to release the forwarding.

• Don’t accept collect calls unless you are absolutely sure you know the caller.

• If you are receiving unwanted collect calls from inmates at a correctional facility, you can call the facility directly and ask for your number to be blocked.

• If your phone often only rings once or if you are suddenly not receiving calls when you expected them, your phone may be forwarded to another number.

• Carefully read your phone bill to check for unusual charges and call activity.

You may be able to protect your phone account with a password to prevent remote access to call forwarding.

If you have fallen for a call-forwarding scam, alert your phone provider and file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission at https://www.fcc.gov/complaints.

For more helpful tips, visit BBB at www.bbb.org/ eastern-washington/ or call (509) 455-4200.

Erin T. Dodge, BBB editor