New phone scam targets Flathead Valley residents

The telephone scams just keep coming.

A Kalispell woman was nearly caught by one recently when callers posed as Dish Network employees.

“When the phone rang, Dish showed up on my caller ID,” Myrna Hocking said. “I answered because I had just called them the week before about changing my plan because my contract had expired and the rates had gone up.”

Hocking said the people she spoke with asked the right questions and she ended up giving them her debit card number and the last four digits of her social security number.

“I’m not a gullible person, but since I had called to change my plan, I answered because I thought they were calling back with something else,” Hocking said. “They said it would cost $180 and some of it would be refunded in January and I’d save $15 a month.”

Hocking said her daughter was visiting from Seattle and helped her get things straightened out, cancelling her debit card.

“Fortunately, I didn’t lose any money, but it’s just mind-boggling the scams that are out there,” Hocking said.

She said neither of the people she talked with spoke good English and they wanted her to send money to Brooklyn.

“That should have tipped me off, but the fact that I just had called them made me think it was legitimate,” Hocking said. “I just want people to know what is going on and be careful.”

Reporter Scott Shindledecker may be reached at 758-4441 or sshindledecker@dailyinterlake.com.