BBB: Scammers are not from GR company

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - A business in Grand Rapids wants to get the word out that it is not scamming people.

Preferred Benefits has been getting complaints after a scammer in India decided to use the company's name to conduct shady business.

The Better Business Bureau said the fraudulent company is contacts customers, informs the customers it has their name, address and occasionally their social security number. The fake company then tells people they owe money, but that it needs customers' bank account numbers.

Then, it steals around $400 from that account.

In some of the calls, the BBB said, the fake company told customers that it had gotten back money from another scam, but then used customers' information to take more money.

The calls come from the number 1.888.866.7006, which originates in India.

When a BBB investigator called that number, he was told by a man on the other end that it was Preferred Benefits out of California, but could not provide an address or web address.

The man who answered at the fake company said that the money taken from the accounts was for an identity theft protection plan and said that the company would provide refunds in the event of an error. But, the BBB said, there didn't actually seem to be a way to get a refund.

The fake Preferred Benefits is not connected to the Grand Rapids Preferred Benefits.

The BBB reminds consumers to never give personal information to a company with which they are not familiar.