Better Business Bureau Warns of Scam Artists Posing as Deaf People

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Better Business Bureau says scam artists are posing as disabled customers as a way to commit crimes against small businesses.

Better Business Bureau says scam artists are posing as disabled customers as a way to commit crimes against small businesses.

DeVoss Auto Repair in Richmond says they were contacted twice this month by the scam artist,s but didn't fall prey to their tricks.

Tom Gallagher with the Better Business Bureau says the con artists used a telephone relay service for the hearing imparied.

Here's how it works: the hearing impaired customer types in their question and they dial into the relay operator who then contacts the business and acts as an intermediary.

In this scam, using a phone relay system, the scam artist called DeVoss Auto stating that he wanted to buy a used car in Florida and he wanted it delivered to Richmond to make any necessary repairs.

But the caller said the person delivering the car would not accept credit cards and asked DeVoss to write a check and mail it to the tow service, money that the caller said he would reimburse DeVoss with his own credit card.

Barbara Orf with Devoss Auto Repair said she didn't fall for the scam. "It just sounded too phony", she says.

Businesses that have fallen prey to the telephone relay scam should notify the BBB at (804) 648-0030