Attorney General warns of phone scam

Missourians should be wary of unfamiliar calls that appear to have a Washington, D.C., area code.

Attorney general Chris Koster said consumer complaints indicate scammers have called from numbers with the 202 area code and left threatening voicemail messages to call back or face severe consequences. Those who return the calls are asked to leave their names and numbers, then receive a return call from a different number in the 202 area code.

Koster said the scammers typically claim to be from federal agencies such as the IRS and demand personal finance information on the pretense of collecting an unpaid debt. While the scam calls appear to originate from the D.C. area code, the attorney general said the calls likely are coming from overseas scammers using spoofing technology.

Koster advised consumers never to share personal information to unknown people over the phone or electronically, return unsolicited voice messages from suspicious callers or wire or send money in response to an unknown caller's demand. Those who receive a scam telephone call from a 202 area code should contact the attorney general's consumer protection hotline at 800-392-8222 or file a complaint online at ago.mo.gov.