Don’t fall for call from credit card issuer. It’s just another scam

Another week of phone scams appears to have plagued us. One variation came in the form of an early morning call informing the call’s recipient that a credit card was used in India only 15 minutes before for a total in the hundreds of dollars. The caller asked the resident to retrieve the card to confirm it was still in his or her possession. The caller then gave the resident the first four digits of the card number and asked the person to provide the rest of the numbers.

The resident was not easily fooled so the caller provided the home address — which was correct. The caller claimed to be the supervisor and needed to take care of this right away before further charges became the responsibility of the owner.

The resident did not fall for it. He called VISA direct and found that there was no fraudulent activity, no calls from its facility, no time it would ever ask the owner for his card number or CVC code.

The funny twist to this story is that the same caller evidently didn’t keep good track of who he had already called and tried again a few hours later. He might still be deaf from the chewing out he got.

Stay alert, friends. The bad guys are getting hungry.

Aug. 11. Forgery: The bank called to report forgery on a deceased person’s account at 2:45 p.m. in the 500 block of Avenue G.

Threats: The caller wanted to report a threat made over social media from a “hit man” at 9:29 p.m. in the 1000 block of Arizona St.

Thought for the day: It’s bad practice, I would think, for a real hit man to publicize on social media.

Aug. 12. See person: A person with mental illness and no residence stops in the lobby to make a claim on a nonexistent property at 4:44 p.m. in the 1000 block of Arizona St.

See person: An elderly resident contacts the police department several times to report her TV remote has been taken by her neighbor at 8:41 p.m. in the 100 block of Lighthouse Drive.

Thought for the day: The family of the resident is contacted to provide assistance and a medical evaluation.

Aug. 13. Found property: A bag is located containing a bank card and other identifying cards at 1:06 a.m. in the 900 block of Utah Street.

Parking: The caller states that unregistered vehicles are frequently parked nearby because of a home-based repair business at 9:13 a.m. in the 600 block of Otono Drive.

Thought for the day: It’s a bad idea to carry your Social Security card along with other identifying materials. It’s a gift to an identity thief.

Aug. 14. Traffic stop: The woman forgets to use a turn signal; however, the passenger with lots of alcohol on board is clearly in violation of his probation at 2:41 a.m. in the area of Fifth Street and California Avenue.

Animal: The caller is concerned about the quail in the middle of the road at 9:59 p.m. in the area of Adams Boulevard and San Felipe Drive.

Thought for the day: How can you not just love those little birds that wear a crown?

Aug. 15. Suspicious: The business owner wants to report that a car appears to have made substantial contact with a dumpster in front of the location during the night at 8:52 a.m. in the 700 block of Wells Road.

Traffic hazard: Officers are out with a pickup truck that appears to have fallen off a trailer at 10:47 a.m. in the area of Buchanan Boulevard and Nevada Way.

Thought for the day: The dumpster appears to have been the winner in the “which is more solid” contest.

Aug. 16. Suspicious vehicle: The homeowner states the motorcycle and helmet parked in the driveway does not belong there at 6:02 a.m. in the 700 block of Shirley Lane.

Domestic: A family dispute includes pepper spray, a subject at large and an arrest in another jurisdiction at 1:44 p.m. in the 1400 block of Pueblo Drive.

Thought for the day: Driving is a difficult enough task without a face full of pepper spray.

Aug. 17. See person for details: A man states his four-month marriage is on the rocks with property damage and personal property missing at 11:17 a.m. in the 700 block of Aztec Place.

Assist: The caller states a neighbor contacted her about a woman seen walking on the property with a hacksaw sticking out of her purse at 3:18 p.m. in the 500 block of Avenue M.

Thought for the day: I’m not sure why a hacksaw sticking out of a purse is suspicious (not).

Call of the week: traffic stop: The driver of the vehicle was given the choice to remove the flashing red lights on the vehicle or have the officer provide him with a hefty fine and visit with the judge. Any guess as to which one he chose? At 11:19 p.m. Aug. 13 in the area of U.S. Highway 93 and Veterans Memorial Drive.

Tina Ransom is a dispatcher with Boulder City Police Department. She is coordinator of the Boulder City Citizen’s Academy.