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Show Telephone Scam Warning U.S. WEST Communications today warned that long-distance scam artists could be targeting Utah telephone subscribers. According to company spokesman spokes-man Duane Cooke, USWC Security is investigating recent reports of customers receiving calls from individuals posing as federal law enforcement or communications officials. Ironically, Cooke said, these individuals claim that they themselves are investigating longdistance long-distance fraud and are soliciting help in catching a "perpetrator." They try to con an intended victim, often an elderly person, into giving out their calling-card number or accepting ac-cepting third-number-billed long distance calls. "At this point we've only received re-ceived a few reports here in Utah, but we want to alert the public," said Cooke. "We're aware of similar simi-lar scams occurring in other states and believe there could be more attempts at-tempts to victimize local subscribers." sub-scribers." Cooke said subscribers should exercise extreme caution when asked to give out calling-card in formation or accept billing for third-number calls, especially over the telephone. It would be unlikely for local or federal investigators to contact subscribers by telephone and ask them to accept the billing of calls to a third number or give out calling-card numbers as part of an invesugation. Anyone receiving suspicious calls should report them to their telephone company. U.S. WEST Communications customers can call 1-800-879-4357 and ask for the Utah Security Department |