Anyone who has received a call allegedly from the California Department of Education, asking for personal information or credit card numbers, should not give away any information and contact the Federal Trade Commission.

The California Department of Education wants to warn residents across the state about a possible telemarketing scam by unsolicited callers claiming to represent the CDE and asking at the Preliminary SAT.

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The department received one or two calls from concerned individuals last week about the scam, said CDE Spokeswoman Tina Jung, but then this week they received at least 12 calls.

“We realized that something was going on,” she said.

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According to reports, the alleged scammer claims to work for the CDE and asks about the PSAT, requesting personal information and credit card numbers over the phone. The caller ID seems to show the call is coming from the State of California or the main telephone line of the CDE.

“(Citizens) should not share personal information with unsolicited callers,” Jung said.

The PSAT is not even a CDE test. The international nonprofit College Board administers and scores the PSAT and the SAT.

The department has contacted the proper law enforcement agencies to look into this potential scam.

Those who receive a suspicious call should not answer any questions and hang up immediately. The Federal Trade Commission also complaints online directly with the FTC Complaint Assistant, which is also available in Spanish.

For official information about the PSAT, visit the College Board online, here.

Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or drop us a line at community@hometownstation.com.

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