Red Cross warns about phone prank

The local American Red Cross chapter warned the public yesterday of bogus phone calls promising help for victims of Typhoon Chaba.

“Please be warned. We are not calling people anymore for Typhoon Chaba. Typhoon Chaba is closed, done, finished,” said an American Red Cross Saipan chapter official who didn’t want herself identified for fear pranksters might use her name to carry out the prank.

According to her the Red Cross has received numerous phone calls asking about the terminated relief effort for victims of Typhoon Chaba, which struck the Marianas hard last August.

She said a dozen phone calls and even an actual visit from a Filipino couple inquiring about the said relief effort was received by the Red Cross yesterday. She said the chapter has been getting calls from the public for three days now.

Each day, the office receives two dozens calls from troubled families. She said victims of the prank told her that an unidentified man has been calling homes and associates himself with the Red Cross. The victims described the caller as an American-sounding man.

She said the phone conversation goes like this: “Hi, this is Ivan from the Red Cross. You need to call Red Cross right away, because of your claim due to Typhoon Chaba.”

The startled families would then ask him why, and the man would simply say he would call back later and hang up. Excited, and at the same time confused by the call, families would immediately dial the Red Cross number and verify the call. The local chapter of ARC has no idea why this man is doing the calls.

The Red Cross office also serves as a bridge to families with members serving in the U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq. If a relative gets into a mishap, the Red Cross would immediately go to the family and inform them of the news.

“So you could just imagine the tension and grief the prank causes to these families,” the officer said. “Like a death in the family, this poor people would think that something has happened to their loved one.”

She encourages the public to be vigilant on this matter. “If you have caller ID, please contact our office immediately and tell us the number and we will forward the number to the authorities,” she added.

The Red Cross has already done an e-mail blast to dispel the hoax and help inform the public about the scam.

“If this was a joke, then it is not funny. If you get a call regarding Typhoon Chaba, don’t believe it, it’s a lie. If you got the number call the chapter immediately,” she assured the public.

The local chapter of the American Red Cross will resume office on Monday. The public is encouraged to call their office at 234-3459 for clarifications. (Marconi Calindas)