Harassed by continuous phone calls
WEST MICHIGAN (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – Newschannel 3 has heard from a few people getting some odd calls that might be a scam.
We've gotten three complaints from people in West Michigan who say they've gotten calls from a toll-free number saying they have a call from an inmate, all of them tell Newschannel 3 that they don't know anyone in jail. One woman says she's been getting the calls non-stop.
Rita Wahmhoff has been afraid to answer her phone for three months, she says she's gotten about four dozen strange calls during that time, all from the same number.
“It said, 'You're receiving a free phone call from a prison inmate, press one to accept,'” said Wahmhoff. “So I'm thinking do I know anyone in prison? I pushed one and nothing happened.”
After the first few phone calls Wahmhoff says she contacted AT&T. The phone company gave her their nusiance line, she filed a complaint and yet the calls continued, and even got worse.
“The time that I came home, I'd been gone two days, I had, I say 21 messages on my machine,” said Wahmhoff. “While I'm listening to those messages that same number called me twice.”
AT&T gave Wahmhoff another line to try, the number for Correctional Billing Services, the company they believed the calls were calling from.
Wahmhoff said she had to repeatedly call the company to get anyone to talk to her. When she succeeded, the person on the other end of the line told her he could try to block her number, but couldn't guarantee that the calls would stop.
Newschannel 3 did some digging and found that Correctional Billing Services has hundreds of complaints from all over the country filed with the Better Business Bureau.
Newschannel 3 also called Correctional Billing Services on behalf of Wahmhoff and were told that she would have to set up an account in order to be blocked, something Wahmhoff doesn't want to do.
“I want them to quit calling me,” said Wahmhoff.
Wahmhoff says the constant calls are affecting her life.
“Well I cry, it's not the only thing in my life, I've got some real life issues going on,” said Wahmhoff, “I don't need this right now.”
Newschannel 3 also contacted the Attorney General's Office. They said they have heard of collect phone call scams similar to this one in other states, but hadn't heard of them in Michigan yet.
Workers at the Attorney General's Office recommend that anyone who has had similar problems file a complaint with their Consumer Protection Division, which can be reached at 1-877-765-8388.
