City warns of scam using Social Security, routing numbers

by **RamblerNash** Wed Jul 19, 2017 12:17 am

City warns of scam using Social Security, routing numbers

By Mike Genet
mike.genet@examiner.net

Posted at 3:11 PM

Independence officials want to warn citizens of a scam in which people are asked via letter or email to use their Social Security number and a Federal Reserve Bank routing number to pay bills from a trust.

Dan Montgomery, director of the Independence Water Department, said he knows of at least a half-dozen citizens who have fallen victim to the scam, and possibly still growing. However, city staff have been able to notify citizens before they accumulated missed payments and late fees.

“The Independence Utilities Center Customer Service team has alerted these customers,” Montgomery said in a city release, “and now we wish to help inform others to keep them from falling victim.”

In another release last week, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said it has numerous unauthorized transaction attempts in which consumers tried to use the routing and Social Security numbers to pay bill. The Federal Reserve said consumers cannot use routing numbers of Federal Reserve accounts to make bill payments and that any correspondence describing such action is a scam. Any consumers trying to do so can be subject to penalties or extra fees from the company they are attempting to pay.

“Federal Reserve routing numbers are used for sorting and processing payments between banks,” the release said. “The Federal Reserve provides banking services only for banks.”
“Scams like are all too common, and the individuals behind them continue to find new ways to trick good people out of their money,” Independence Chief of Police Brad Halsey said. “We encourage our citizens to always ask questions before you provide personal information and to contact the appropriate service provider if something sounds suspicious or seems too good to be true.”

Those you believe they have fallen victim to this scam can call Independence Police Department at 816-325-7300.

http://www.examiner.net/news/20170718/city-warns-of-scam-using-social-security-routing-numbers