Scam Spotlight: Telecommunications Imposters

Recently, a consumer reported to DATCP that they switched their cell phone provider and ordered a new phone from the company, then soon after encountered an imposter scam. After the new phone was shipped to the consumer, but before the consumer had a chance to activate it, they received a phone call from someone claiming to be a representative from their new provider. The caller said they would help activate the new device over the phone call.

The caller, who was really a scammer impersonating the new provider, asked for the IMEI number located on the packaging, which can be used to identify a specific device when it connects to a network. The consumer provided the IMEI number and the caller asked for the consumer’s account PIN. The consumer became suspicious and started asking questions like “Why would I give you my PIN when you were the one who called me?” and “Why do you need my PIN?” The consumer realized it was a scammer when the caller claimed they needed to help set up payments for the consumer’s account, which the consumer had already done. But the scam was not over.

By giving out their new phone’s IMEI number, the consumer had accidentally placed themselves at risk. If a scammer knows the IMEI number of the consumer’s device they can then frame the consumer as a scammer by misusing the information to hide their own (the scammer’s) personal data while they conduct scams. An IMEI number should be treated like any other piece of personally identifiable information.

In this case, the consumer spent several days contacting real cell provider customer support staff to replace the phone. One day after receiving the replacement device, the consumer got another phone call from the same scammers! The consumer reported the scam to their cell provider and DATCP. According to their provider, similar scams sometimes end with the scammer telling their target that they need to “send back” their phone for a replacement – but if a consumer follows that instruction they end up sending the phone to the scammer.

To avoid these types of scams, consumers should never provide personal or sensitive information in response to an unsolicited phone call – even if the call seems legitimate. Scammers can be skilled impersonators and know how to convince consumers to follow their instructions. If consumers have questions or concerns, or want to check if a request they received from a company is real, they should verify the company’s contact information with official sources and reach out directly.