Walmart Robocall Scam Targets Montana Shoppers

Walmart is back in the news, and it has nothing to do with a new rollback. Millions of shoppers nationwide are discovering they were victims of a massive robocall and phishing scam. Federal officials say the scammers used Walmart’s name to deceive people into giving them their banking information, personal data and even Social Security numbers. This scam is related to the overhaul recently announced in Washington to tackle illegal robocalls and consumer fraud, TheStreet reports. And Montanans are right in the thick of it.

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The calls look legit. Same with the emails and texts. Whether it’s contacting you via phone, email or text message, scams typically involve an offer that sounds too good to be true or a reason to believe there is something wrong with your account. As soon as you click the link, it snatches your information. And once they have your data, by golly, they can do just about anything. Identity theft. Account takeovers. Strange transactions on your bank statement.

Why Montanans Should Pay Attention

Scammers love using big brands like Walmart, because everyone likes to shop there. Whether you live in Missoula or Billings or Great Falls, there is a Walmart to buy groceries and ammunition, children’s clothes and even fishing licenses. Now that makes it the perfect bait. Now federal authorities are tightening up the rules on making robocalls, and they’re going after companies that let them rain down like an unending plague. That even includes phone calls claiming to be from Walmart.

What This Means For Us

If Walmart is calling to tell you the store needs information from you, hang up. If you receive a text with a link, delete that message. And if you receive an email that smells fishy, presume it is. Montana has its problems, but fake Walmart alerts shouldn't be one of them. Keep your guard up. These scams show no signs of slowing down.