Robocalls can trick you into paying unowed debt

February 21, 2013 1:49:31 AM PST
Beware of a phone call claiming your loved is in serious legal trouble. The caller knows your name, your phone number, but the rest is a trick designed to make you fearful and eager to pay money to stay out of trouble.

"They were trying to pressure me into thinking that I needed to contact a lawyer and contact them," Allison Currie said.

Currie was understandably concerned when she got a robocall message on her answering machine. The call claims Currie's sister Samantha has a past debt and makes it sound as if serious trouble is around the corner, but there's a problem.

Currie's sister passed away 7 and a half years ago.

"It is just a cruel thing to do to somebody," she said.

Currie says she tried calling the number left by the recording, but could never reach anyone.

It turns out Currie is not the only one who's gotten the robocall.

An online forum is filled with complaints alleging the people behind the call are asking for money to resolve debts that may or may not be real.

"It is the worst kind of people that do those scams and try to make money off of people," Currie said.

Currie believes the people behind the robocall had no idea her sister had passed away and they are simply making hundreds of in hopes of scaring people into paying money.

The Houston Better Business Bureau's Leah Napoliello agrees and has this advise for anyone who gets the same robocall:

"Don't panic, don't respond to these robocalls at all and report them to the Federal Trade Commission," Napoliello said.

When we called the number left by the robocall, no one picked up. Remember, if you are involved in a legal issue, you will not be notified by a robot.

Take ABC13 with you!

Load Comments