New scam comes from callers saying they’re with Muni Clerk’s Office. They’re not.

By
Suzanne Downing
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4

The Anchorage Municipal Clerk’s Office says it has gotten many reports of a scam, wherein the caller claims to work for the Municipal Clerk’s Office, or the “Anchorage County Court Clerk,” and they are conducting a fraud investigation involving the person whom they are calling.  

The phone number that shows up on the victim’s Caller ID is 907-343-4311, which is indeed the Clerk’s Office legitimate phone number. However, no one from the Municipal Clerk’s Office is making these phone calls.

This is a scam, the Clerk said in a statement, advising people to not engage with the caller and not give out any personal information.

Here are some tips to protect yourself against this and other scams:

  • The United States government and law enforcement will never ask for any form of payment, including gift cards or Bitcoin and cryptocurrency, to avoid an arrest.
  • Do not assume that the phone number shown on your telephone screen during an incoming phone call is the true phone number that is calling. If there is any doubt, hang up, look up the phone number for the agency calling you, and call them back.
  • Always be suspicious of phone calls from unknown individuals or phone numbers that you do not recognize.
  • Do not conduct business over the phone with callers you do not know.
  • Never share personal or financial information over the phone with someone you do not know, e.g., social security number, debit/credit/pre‐paid card numbers, etc.
  • If anyone contacts you and asks you to pay or send them money using Bitcoin, wire transfer or pre‐paid cards of any sort, this is a scam.

Report online, business, or phone scams to the Federal Trade Commission immediately at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov

4 COMMENTS

  1. Wonder where they got the info from? Maybe a contractor they hired to call everyone about something else?

  3. The system is failing at every point. Frankly, the main difference between African scammers and domestic government officials is that government officials seem to spell bit better.

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