Customers get warning of ad scam

The Las Vegas Review-Journal is warning customers who have taken out classified ads in the company's publications to be wary of a new telephone scam.

Outsiders claiming to be employees with the newspaper's classified advertising department are calling phone numbers listed in classified ads and asking advertisers for credit card information.

The scam artists say they need a personal credit card number in order to run or continue running the customer's ad. Sometimes, they say the card number that was previously given when the ad was placed was rejected so the newspaper needs another credit card number.

The Review-Journal believes these individuals want credit card numbers to make fraudulent purchases of goods and services.

Rebecca Bradner, classified advertising manager, urges advertisers to assume that the call is fraudulent and to ask for the caller's name and say they will call the individual back at the newspaper. The Review-Journal's classified ad number is 383-0211.