By KATIE JOHNSON
Niles Daily Star

When Frances Rosetto received a call from a stranger telling her she was pre-approved for exemption from medical and property taxes for two years, she was skeptical. The caller said she had to provide her Social Security and credit card numbers to qualify.

“They sound so official,” said Rosetto, 81, of Howard Township. “I said, ‘I don’t know who you are.'”

After the call, Rosetto reported the scam call to the police, her senior citizens’ center and Howard Township.

“People should know about it,” she said.

Rosetto is not alone.

Cass County Sheriff Joseph M. Underwood Jr. reported his office has received an earlier complaint of a phone scam being used in Cass County.

The sheriff’s office has been made aware of one scam in which an unknown subject or subjects calls a residence, claiming to be a family member, but does not state specifically who they are. Instead, the caller uses the general greeting of “Hi Grandma.” The caller claims that he or she is in trouble with the police, possibly even in jail and in need of money.

On another occasion, the caller specifically named a family member and said that he or she was part of the authorities in Canada and that money needed to be sent to bond a family member out of jail.

In both of these incidents, when additional questions were asked, the caller hung up.
Underwood strongly suggests caution when dealing with such calls and to verify with other family members before taking any action.

If you receive a similar call and believe the caller may be an actual family member, have them call the American Embassy for assistance or have the authorities there contact your local authorities through official channels.

The following government site can be used to report scams: www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/phone fraud/government.shtml.