State auditor issues advisory on potential phone scam

State Auditor Rob Sand issued an advisory alerting Iowans to a potential phone scam in which the caller identifies themselves as a representative of the Iowa Auditor of State Office (AOS).

A concerned citizen notified the AOS Office Nov. 30 that they had received a phone call from a person inquiring about their mortgage. The caller also stated that they knew the concerned citizen’s name, address and height.

“The Auditor of State Office will never call you to inquire about your mortgage or personal finances,” Sand said. “We have alerted the Iowa Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division.”

The Federal Trade Commission offers the following advice to identify and avoid phone scams:

• Scammers might pretend to be from a well-known organization or agency like the Internal Revenue Service, the Social Security Administration, or Medicare. These agencies will never call you to request financial information.

• Scammers often claim you’ve won a prize. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

• Scammers may pressure you to act immediately or pay in a specific way.

• Never give your personal or financial information to a random caller.

• Talk to someone you trust before acting on a caller’s request for money or information.

To learn more about protecting yourself from scams or to report a scam, contact the Iowa Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division at 515-281-5926 or consumer.consumer@ag.iowa.gov.

Questions for the AOS Office should be directed to 515-281-5834 or info@aos.iowa.gov.