There’s a new phone scam hitting consumers, but this one involves more than just getting a bogus phone call.

The scammer could be using your phone to scam you out of big dollars.
Karen Stiles of the TODAY’S TMJ4 Call For Action office has more about this scam and how you can avoid falling victim.

This is known as the Star 72 Scam. What happens is that the scam artist calls you on the phone, telling you that they need help or that something very serious has happened, and then they instruct you to call a number to get help or more information.

Here’s the kicker: the number they tell you to call always has Star 72 at the beginning. If you dial Star 72 before dialing the number, you are actually transferring your phone over to a scam artist for making as many phone calls as he wants. Some of these could be international calls that could cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars.

If you get this call:

•Never enter Star 72 into your phone unless you fully intend to transfer your phone to another location.

•Do not call any phone number that seems suspicious without checking it out first. You can sometimes do this by doing a reverse directory search of the number on the internet or calling your phone company for assistance.

•You might also want to report the number that you are given to police, state, and federal officials.

If you or someone you know has been scammed:

If you’ve been scammed, this is what happens: when someone tries to call you, they will find that the number is being re-routed to another location.

If this happens, you can shut the transfer of your phone off by pushing Star 73, and then immediately calling your phone company to report the problem.

Although some companies may try to hold you liable for the charges, you might be able to plead your case, and get these charges reversed.

You can also call the TODAY’S TMJ4 Call For Action office. Our volunteers will be more than happy to help you in mediating a resolution for these types of cases with your phone company.