Image by Flickr user pinprick Image by 20090302-phone-scam.jpg Tools of the trade.

The Post and Courier is reporting that a North Charleston couple has been swindled by a man promising to cut their daughter's mortgage rate.

The paper writes, in part:
Peed told the couple that their daughter could save between 1.5 to 5 percent on her mortgage under the new stimulus program, according to a police report. The couple told police that they agreed to use their credit card to pay a "retainer fee" of $397 for the company's attorneys to begin the paperwork.

This news comes just days after SCE&G warned about a similar scam involving utility bills.

Helpful hint: If someone calls with an unsolicited offer and then asks for you credit card info, never give it to them!

Still, these folks aren't the first and won't be the last to get taken in such a scam.