JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Seniors in Clay County warned about a scam which a person impersonates a FedEx worker.
Channel 4 was first alerted to this problem by the Council on Aging of Clay County.
Recommended Videos
Program Director Judy Hyde said seniors there are getting phone calls from a caller claiming to work for FedEx. The caller asks seniors for their address, social security number, birthday, and the times of day that they will be home to receive a package.
"I called FedEx myself, and they said, 'No way.' They would never ask for that type of information. They don't even call in advance," said Hyde. "They just show up, and if they aren't there, they just leave a note."
Channel 4 Crime Analyst Ken Jefferson said most companies would never call and ask for personal information over the phone.
"You are never to divulge any information because anyone calling asking for your personal information, it is usually under false pretenses," said Jefferson.
Hyde feels that seniors are an easy target for scammers since they are usually unsuspecting that someone may be trying to rip them off.
"They do get very excited with phone calls. It's an opportunity to talk to someone. I just can't imagine someone who is so low, and would take advantage of someone who is trained and brought up to be nice on the phone, and not be rude, and they are taking advantage of that," Hyde said.
"Your identity can be compromised, and it can take a long time to get it back if it has been compromised, and if they know you won't be home, they can easily burglarize your home," added Hyde.
Jefferson also suggests that if people do get a suspicious phone call from someone asking for personal information, that the best thing to do is to write the number down and report the suspicion to police.