BBB: Scam uses victims' phone numbers

The Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota is warning the public about a suspected identity theft operation that targets people by spoofing their cell phone numbers on caller ID.

Those who pick up the call will hear a voice recording about lowering credit card interest rates and a request for credit card information.

BBB of Minnesota spokesman Dan Hendrickson said similar calls have been reported in other states throughout the summer, but they are just cropping up in Minnesota. He said the practice of disguising the actual origin of a marketing call is a practice known as spoofing. Marketers often use familiar numbers to earn trust.

Hendrickson said people should be wary of any phone calls requesting banking or credit card information, even when they appear to be legitimate.

"We're telling people it's best to end the phone call, contact your bank or credit card company and say, 'Look, I just got this phone call, here's what they told me, and is this legitimate?'"

A spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Commerce says the agency hasn't yet received any reports of the robo-calls, but that people can report suspected scam calls to the agency for investigation. The Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission also track and investigate scams.