Authorities in Florida have warned residents about robocall scams selling auto warranties and asking consumers to pay with various methods, including cryptocurrencies.
In the Florida consumer newsletter issued by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the government stated that it had ordered phone companies to stop carrying traffic for a known robocall scam.
The robocall scam identified as Cox/Jones/Sumco Panama has made over eight billion illegal phone calls to US consumers since 2018. FDAC claimed this necessitated stopping phone companies from carrying their calls.
But it added that the scammers might also use other means to get to consumers, such as sending fake “motor vehicle service notifications” and “Extended Warranty Letter” via email.
Regardless of the methods, FDACS identified five red flags that should tip off consumers about a scam. They include calls for immediate action, false claims, requests for personal information, imposters, and asking for payments in gift cards or cryptocurrencies.
According to the FDACS, “Only scammers will require one of those kinds of payment, and once you send the money, you probably won’t get it back.”
Including cryptocurrencies as one of the payment types preferred by scammers is another instance of authorities identifying the growing rate of crypto-related scams.
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