Phone scam drawing complaints in Beaumont

BEAUMONT - Beaumont Police are receiving complaints about a new phone scame.

The caller says he or she is from law enforcement and conducting an investigation. The caller tries to convince the person on the other end of the line to reveal personal information as part of the 'investigation.' When asked what agency the caller represents, the caller changes the subject, provides false information or hangs up. They say it's about some kind of 'fraud investigation' involving fraudulent checks or identity theft in which the person receiving the call is the victim.

In one case, caller ID indicated the call was coming from 876-290-2783. According to an online search the number is from Kingston, Jamaica. One person who received the call asked for a telephone number to verify the caller's identity. The caller provided the number 876-297-8939. It wasn't a working number.

The Beaumont Police Department offers these tips to help prevent you from becoming a victim of a phone scam:

* Do not give any personal information to anyone on the phone or through the mail or Internet unless you initiated contact with them. This includes your Social Security number, your bank account number, your mother's maiden name, your address, or your credit card numbers.

* Order a copy of your credit report at least once a year. This gives you a chance to find out what is on your report and notify the reporting agency of any errors.

If you think you have been a victim, report it to your local law enforcement agency. You can find more information about fraud related crimes at http://www.beaumontpd.com/investigation_financial.htm