PHONE SCAM ALERT: “Your medication for Tramedol/Vicodin is ready.”

Tamaqua resident Judy Vacula said that she received a phone call today (Friday, January 24, 2014) from someone calling and asking for personal information to receive medications.
Vacula stated the caller said, “Hello. I am calling to tell you that your prescription medication for Tramedol is ready to be picked up.”
This was when she first became suspicious because the person didn’t verify who he was or even asked her name.
“You have my script for Tramedol?” Vacula questioned the man. She added that the man had broken English.
The scammer then replied, “Yees! Yees! I have your prescription for Tramedol.”
Vacula, lying to the scammer, replied, “Do you know that if I take Tramedol, it would kill me?”
“Oh, I am sorry, I have said the wrong prescription,” the scammer replied. The caller continued by saying, “I have your prescription for Percacet. Yees! Yees! It is your script waiting for you.”
A shocked Vacula replied sarcastically to the scammer, “Seriously? You have Percacets for me?”
“Yees. Yees!” said the scammer.
Trying to see how far the scammer would go, Vacula then gave another lye to the scammer, saying, “Hummmm, that is odd! I can’t take Percasets either. Are you sure you have my name right?”
The called rebutted, “Oh ma’am, if you confirm your name and address I will confirm your telephone number. Then we can make the payment for your prescription medications.”
Vacula replied, “So you want me to give you my name and personal information, and you are going to verify my identity by confirming my telephone number that you just called me using? Now that is smart!”
Not giving up, the caller replied, “Yees, yees! Dat is rrrright! I can verify you using the telephone number.”
That is when the phone call ended.
The scammer’s caller ID showed (982) 647-0826, although most organized scammers use false called ID information via spoofing or the use of unregistered online phone numbers.
“That is a pretty rich scam,” said Vacula. “I can imagine how many uninformed residents are scammed by this. It is not right.”
There are a few things you can do if you receive a phone call you suspect is a scam:
1. Call your local police department.
2. File your complaint online via https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/.
3. File your complaint online at http://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx