Police Report Numerous Scam Calls In Wyoming

It isn't a new con, but someone is making widespread use of a phone scam that threatens the cancellation of intended victim's Social Security cards.

Police in both Cheyenne and Rock Springs say they have been getting numerous reports of the calls, according to Facebook postings by the two departments.

There are apparently at least two variations on the scam.

In one of them, a person calls the intended victim and tells them their Social Security card has been compromised. Another version of the same scam features a recorded robotic-sounding voice telling intended victims that the Social Security Administration has a dispute with them and is going to cancel the victims' card unless the call is immediately returned. Both types of calls are bogus attempts to get the victim's personal information.

Meanwhile, police in Green River are reporting another old scam that apparently has been brought back in recent weeks. In this fraud attempt, people are called by their alleged grandchildren claiming they are in jail and need money to be bailed out.

If the victim remarks that the caller doesn't sound like the grandchild, the con artist will claim that is either because they are upset or have a bad cold. When victims hang up on these fraudsters, the intended victims will sometimes receive a follow-up call claiming to be an attorney for the grandchild and emphasizing the supposed seriousness of the situation.

In all situations, people are being reminded not to give out any personal information over the phone without being absolutely certain of the person they are talking to. People are also being told to either not answer calls from unknown numbers or to hang up on the con artists.