#phone-scam

#phone-scam

They deceived a Ventura man into giving them $25,000 and were arrested after attempting to take $50,000 more, authorities say. First came the suspicious, unexpected text message. Included in the communication was a return phone number and a plea to call "immediately." By evening's end, a frazzled Ventura senior citizen - during a cloak-and-dagger assignation - had uttered a secret code to a person who claimed to be law enforcement, then handed him $25,000.

I am staring at my computer, mouth ajar, when my phone rings. The call is from an unknown mobile number, which I would not normally answer, but I've just emailed someone requesting an interview, with my own phone number appended to the bottom, and I'm hoping this might be them. I'm also hoping it might not be them. Hello? I say. Hello, is that Tim, yeah? a male voice says. I leave a long pause. Yeah, I say.