Upper St. Clair Police Warn Of Uptick In Phone Scams Costing Victims 'Substantial Sums Of Money'

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

UPPER ST. CLAIR, Pa. (KDKA) - Police in Upper St. Clair are warning of an uptick in phone scams costing victims "substantial sums of money."

Police say the phone scams often make it difficult or even impossible for victims to recover lost money.

They say these scammers will use tactics like threatening people with arrest or fines, and they may even stay on the phone to give step-by-step instructions to victims.

If this happens to you, police say you should hang up and not provide any personal information. Even if the caller seems to know you, police say there is a lot of information scammers can get on the internet.

They also say if you get a call from a company you usually deal with, like the bank, asking you for personal information, you should hang up and check the number. Very rarely does a company call out of the blue and ask for personal information, police say.

The Upper St. Clair Police say it's "imperative" that children educate their older parents because they're usually the ones who "fall prey" to these scammers.