Bothell Police is investigating, after several people fell victim to a phone scam, involving a Bothell area hotel.
In each of these new cases, the scammer appears to have gained access to some recent hotel reservation information at the Comfort Inn in Bothell; including some customer phone numbers, names and the last-four digits of either credit or debit cards.
Using this information, along with caller-ID spoofing, the scammer convinces people the call is legitimate.
The caller may say the victim has been accidentally double-charged for a hotel stay, or that there was a problem with a payment. In either case, the caller tries to convince people to share the full credit or debit card information over the phone.
If you get a call like this - don't fall for it. Don't share your debit or credit-card information.
Almost all unsolicited calls about payments and refunds these days - are scams. When you get calls like this - just hang up.
If the caller has you worried that there's a problem with a legitimate payment or a reservation, you can always contact the company yourself and ask.
If you make a mistake and get duped by a phone scammer, contact your bank or credit card company immediately. File an online crime report or call our non-emergency phone line: (425) 486-1254.
You can also learn the latest about phone, internet and other scams by visiting the Federal Trade Commission website. Read the articles, watch the short, educational videos and share them with friends and family members, so everyone is better protected.