When Lorraine Reba of Cranberry received two phone calls from local numbers asking about her Medicare the same afternoon, she knew something sounded suspicious.

“The (caller) ID said U.S. Postal Service,” Reba said. “I was very wary — why is the Postal Service calling about my Medicare number?”

Reba said the person on the other line asked if she had received a new Medicare number.

“I said no, we get no new Medicare cards this year.”

Reba then hung up, which sheriff Michael Slupe said was the right thing to do. A little over 30 minutes later, the phone rang again.

“I said — ‘I know this is a scam,’ and she hung up on me,” Reba said.

Reba said that was the first time she encountered a scam call.

“I’m still really rattled about this an hour later,” she said.

When it comes to scams, she said older people might be more likely targets.

“Oh come on, we’re old people,” Reba said. “Someone tells us to do something, we do it … I guess some people would be desperate enough to chat with somebody. Not me.”

The scam sounds like a “spoof call,” Slupe said.

A “spoof call” refers to a type of scam where someone falsifies their caller ID to lead the call’s recipient into believing the call is from a trusted, local number. Over the phone, the caller will attempt to obtain gift cards or financial information.

What distinguishes a spoof call from another fraudulent phone scam is that the call may seem legitimate because it is from a local number, Slupe said. Using an app, scammers can duplicate any phone number to mask their true identity from states or countries away. The calls are not traceable, he said.

The most important thing, Slupe said, is to hang up on any call that seems fraudulent.

“Spoofing scam calls have been going on for a long time,” Slupe said, “Scam callers never stop, and they’re always thinking of a new angle to obtain some type of money from an unsuspecting victim.”

Sometimes, the person on the other line can sound legitimate, Slupe said.

“They use official sounding phrases and words and they try to trick you into giving them information you normally wouldn't,” he said.

The caller can sound urgent, resorting to bullying tactics if they sense hesitation on the other line.

“No matter what they sound like, they’re trying to get something from you, and they’re trying to get you to make a decision now and play off your kindness,” Slupe said. “Hang up the phone.”

Once you hang up, the scammer likely won’t call back.

If a person has received a scam call and is part of a senior living community, Slupe said they should alert others within community to let them know they might be next.

Spoof calls “happen a lot throughout the year,” Slupe said.