TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (May 14, 2002) — Bridgestone/Firestone is warning consumers about a telephone scam that has been operating in at least five states.
According to the Nashville, Tenn.-based tire maker, con artists who identify themselves over the phone as BFS representatives tell consumers they are eligible for money under a tire recall, then take consumers' Social Security and bank account numbers to "confirm their eligibility." The company is contacting consumer service agencies in every state to warn of the scam, said a spokesman for the Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commission.
Reports of the con have come from California, Connecticut, Indiana, Louisiana and New York, he added.