The Virgin Islands Police Department is warning residents about a telephone scam in which callers impersonate wireless company representatives to gain unauthorized access to customers’ accounts, according to a press release.
According to VIPD, scammers call customers claiming to be from a telephone company or its security department. During the call, they send a verification code to the victim’s mobile device and instruct the person to read the code aloud.
Police said obtaining the code can allow scammers to bypass account security, make unauthorized account changes, transfer phone numbers, access personal information and potentially facilitate identity theft or financial fraud.
VIPD reminded consumers that legitimate wireless company representatives will never ask customers to provide one-time verification codes, passwords, PINs or other security credentials over the phone.
The department urged anyone who receives such a call to hang up immediately if asked to provide a verification code or account security information, contact their wireless provider through official customer service channels, monitor their account for unauthorized changes, update passwords and security PINs if suspicious activity is detected, and report scam attempts to their provider and local consumer protection authorities.
“Verification codes are designed to protect customers, but scammers are increasingly using social engineering tactics to trick individuals into sharing them,” a spokesperson said in the release. “Consumers should treat any unsolicited request for security codes as a potential fraud attempt.”
Anyone who believes they shared a verification code with a scammer should contact their wireless provider immediately to help secure their account and prevent further unauthorized access. For more information, contact the VIPD Economic Crimes Unit at 340-774-3942, ext. 5618.
