Letter to the Editor: Beware of scammers

Priscilla McKeighan at Town Meeting in Brandon earlier this month.

This letter is about the good and the evil that exists in our town. From March 4, 2019, I was very privileged to be able to attend the very best evening Town Meeting in a very long time. Due to the use of a microphone, I was able to hear the budget discussion, the comments and replies. The moderator carried out this feat in a fair and friendly manner. I hope everyone who attended was proud and grateful to be there.

Now, for the evil. I noticed that March 7, was new moon time and maybe this is an excuse for this. It so happened I did not feel well to try to go upstreet as I had wished. So, I rested in my chair. In the middle of the afternoon, I received this phone call saying that I owed a bill at Rutland Regional Medical Center and that I needed to pay it immediately.

After coming to my senses, I called back and said I had insurance to pay my bills and that I could not pay any bills over the phone. I would check about it when the bill came.

I waited and worried over a bill that never did come. By Saturday afternoon, I had the opportunity to share my experience with a friend that is now my age. I learned she had been through the same experience. Really, I hope the scamming female that made the rip-off call receives a knock in the head and a kick in her butt! She represents the evil in this town!

Thank you,

Priscilla McKeighan, Brandon

Editor’s note: Unfortunately, phone scams do occur and they frequently target older people dependent on health care programs and other critical services. These calls are typically from out-of-town, and even out of state. Law enforcement officials suggest not paying any bill over the phone, but to demand a printed invoice mailed to your address. Patients should always know whom the invoice is from and what the charge is for (along with a date in which you received the service) before paying. This letter is a good reminder of that lesson.

Back to Top