Auto Warranty Scam Reporting

Programs that provide a hotline, website or other mechanisms that people can use to report calls from scammers posing as representatives of a car dealer, manufacturer or insurer telling them that their auto warranty or insurance is about to expire. The call generally includes some sort of pitch urging them to renew their warranty or policy. During the call (which often begins automated or pre-recorded) they may be instructed to press a certain number or stay on the line, and then asked to provide personal information which potentially can be used to defraud them. The scammer may have specific information about the intended victim's car and warranty which can make it hard to discern whether a particular call is legitimate or fraudulent. Car owners are advised against providing any personal information, such as their Social Security number, credit card information, driver's license number or bank account information to any caller unless they can verify they are dealing directly with a legitimate company with which they have an established business relationship. Criminals may also engage in caller ID "spoofing" "“ deliberately falsifying the information transmitted to the person's Caller ID display to disguise their identity. In addition to being fraudulent in nature, these calls likely violate telemarketing and robocall rules. People who have received a suspected scam call can file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) at https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or both.