Scam Attempt of Rural Residents

A scam involving satellite TV service almost ripped off an area couple, but it appears it might have been caught in time.

The area resident said someone phoned their rural Jasper County residence and said since they were using the same satellite equipment for several years, they needed to replace it. They indicated there would be a $95 charge as a security deposit for the equipment. When the resident finally agreed, they said they would write a check for the amount. The person on the phone said that wouldn't work; the technician would not be authorized to accept the check, so they needed a credit card number. That's when the resident finally gave their credit card number.

To sell the scam further, the scammer phoned the satellite company and said they needed to make a service call to the residence. When the satellite company repairman went to the house, they asked the resident why they had called? The resident said THEY didn't call, it was the other person, the scammer, who phoned them. The repairman recognized the situation as a scam and phoned his superiors. 

It's believed the resident got their credit card canceled before any charges by the scammer showed up, but the resident doesn't want you to go through what they did, and that's why they let us know; so we could caution you.