In recent days, multiple Powell Tribune subscribers have reported being contacted by people claiming to be with the Tribune who are seeking payments for a subscription or updated personal information. However, the calls are scams.

When a reader’s subscription is expiring, the Tribune sends a notification by email or, if the reader prefers, by mail. 

“We do not call to confirm information,” said Tribune General Manager Toby Bonner.

One Powell business reported getting two phone calls this week from people claiming to be from the Tribune; they requested a personal email address for one of the store’s leaders, supposedly so a subscription could be renewed. One of the calls was placed by a man with a foreign accent while the other came from a woman who said her name was Mary; her telephone number displayed an area code from southwest Connecticut, but it’s easy for a scammer to “spoof” any number.

Meanwhile, another subscriber reportedly received multiple harassing phone calls about renewing her Tribune subscription.

“We would ask our readers to be vigilant for scammers posing as the Tribune,” said Bonner, noting that none of the recent calls actually came from the newspaper. For one thing, any calls from the Tribune’s circulation department will come from one of the paper’s local phone lines, with a 307-754 prefix.

It is not a new trick — scammers have spent decades posing as legitimate publications as a way to steal money or identities — and there are many different wrinkles to the scams. For instance, in October 2020, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota charged dozens of individuals and companies spread across the country, Canada and the Philippines for tricking magazine subscribers into signing up for new subscriptions they couldn’t afford; the defendants also tricked victims into making additional payments to supposedly pay off what they “owed.” 

“In reality, they were simply stealing the money from the victims,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Being vigilant and protecting personal information is especially important because phone scammers are notoriously difficult to identify, apprehend and prosecute. In the Minnesota case, for example, the scammers reportedly carried out their operation for at least 20 years and swindled seniors out of more than $300 million before being caught.

Anyone who is unsure about whether a request for personal information or payment is actually related to their Powell Tribune subscription can hang up and call the paper back at 307-754-2221. The Tribune’s circulation department can also be reached by email at circulation@powelltribune.com. Customers can purchase or renew a subscription online at www.powelltribune.com.