Oneida (WSYR-TV) - If you get a phone call from a "Liz," "Kelly," or "Shelly" claiming to be fundraising for school sports teams or collecting dues on behalf of the Oneida Chamber of Commerce, watch out. It’s a scam.
The chamber is warning people and alerting members not to send the scammers money.
The chamber does do some fundraising, but not by cold calling members. They send an email or a letter on official letterhead. They would never ask for your credit card information.
These scams are not uncommon and other chambers of commerce around the country have been hit by the scam too. While chambers don’t give out member lists, they’re often listed on websites. That’s one way the scammers could be compiling lists of businesses to call.
Business owners should be cautious. Don’t respond with any personal or financial account information. The chamber says those who receive the calls should try to learn about the scammers.
“Get as much information as you can, a name or number, an address and ask them to e-mail you the information so you have a thread on the internet you can go through. Never give your credit card number out, ever,” said Tari Timmer of the Oneida Chamber of Commerce.
Timmer says the only phone call you would ever get from the Oneida Chamber of Commerce is one from her. In such a case, the chamber number should appear on your caller ID, not a private or unknown number.
If there’s any doubt, call the chamber office. That way you can verify any fundraising activities that may be going on or the status of your dues.
The chamber is working with Oneida City Police, who can also be notified of suspicious calls.
