Tacoma research clinic targeted in phone scam
TACOMA, Wash. - A Tacoma medical research clinic is receiving dozens of angry phone calls - for something they say they didn't do.
It appears someone is using the clinic's phone number to try to scam people in three states.
Sabrina Benjamin wastes valuable time on the phone - but it's not her fault. She and her small staff at Universal Research, a medical clinic, are victims of a scam.
Someone stole their phone number and called hundreds of people in Oregon, Washington and Ohio - pretending to be a banker and requesting personal financial information.
"I have an employee who has done nothing this morning but answer phone calls from people all over the place trying to figure out what's wrong with their credit card," Sabrina says.
The victims see the research clinic's phone number on their caller I.D. and call back in anger. The scam is called "spoofing," and it's happending across the nation.
"It is disgusting that someone would try to victimize people in this way," Sabrina says. "I am concerned about some of the older patients who called this morning being potentially victimized by something like this."
Sabrina contacted the FBI and they're investigating the case.
The clinic's phone provider, Integra Telecom in Tacoma, is sympathetic but says there's nothing they can do. They say it could happen to any carrier.
"For us we take a lot of pride in protecting our network," says Matt Smith of Integra Telecom. "In this particular case, there wasn't anything that was happening on our network. There is really nothing that we as a provider could do - but really make sure were responsive to our customers."
In the meantime, Sabrina wants to warn people not to fall for the scam - and hopes the calls stop soon.
The FBI recommends you don't give personal information to strangers over the phone.
It appears someone is using the clinic's phone number to try to scam people in three states.
Sabrina Benjamin wastes valuable time on the phone - but it's not her fault. She and her small staff at Universal Research, a medical clinic, are victims of a scam.
Someone stole their phone number and called hundreds of people in Oregon, Washington and Ohio - pretending to be a banker and requesting personal financial information.
"I have an employee who has done nothing this morning but answer phone calls from people all over the place trying to figure out what's wrong with their credit card," Sabrina says.
The victims see the research clinic's phone number on their caller I.D. and call back in anger. The scam is called "spoofing," and it's happending across the nation.
"It is disgusting that someone would try to victimize people in this way," Sabrina says. "I am concerned about some of the older patients who called this morning being potentially victimized by something like this."
Sabrina contacted the FBI and they're investigating the case.
The clinic's phone provider, Integra Telecom in Tacoma, is sympathetic but says there's nothing they can do. They say it could happen to any carrier.
"For us we take a lot of pride in protecting our network," says Matt Smith of Integra Telecom. "In this particular case, there wasn't anything that was happening on our network. There is really nothing that we as a provider could do - but really make sure were responsive to our customers."
In the meantime, Sabrina wants to warn people not to fall for the scam - and hopes the calls stop soon.
The FBI recommends you don't give personal information to strangers over the phone.