NEWBERRY COUNTY — The Newberry County Sheriff’s Office has reported that they have received numerous reports about a warranty scam. People are receiving calls advising them their warranty has run out and it needs immediate attention.
One of the varieties has been to spoof the number of Stokes Trainor Chevrolet Buick GMC Dealership and try to sell an extended warranty. One call even used the name of an employee to add to the confidence scam. While Stokes-Trainor is a full service GM dealership it does manufacture’s warranty service — it does not call people about extended warranties nor does General Motors.
According to the owner of Stokes-Trainor, Joe Trainor, before purchasing any type of warranty or automotive products over the telephone or through mail, one should call the dealership or the manufacturer of the automobile to verify the validity of any warranties.
Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster said always be cautious of any products offered over the phone.
“We are living in a time that you just cannot trust your caller ID due to technologies and apps on phones that allow the mocking of telephone numbers,” he said. “Verify before spending any money over the phone, mail or internet.
Scam calling has grown in the last few years, but they always pick up during holiday seasons due to people’s generosity and people looking for deals, according to Foster.