Be on the lookout for phone calls saying a loved one has been injured in an accident.

Henderson County residents are receiving these calls, and the Henderson County Sheriff 's Department has called for caution.

A spokesman from the sheriff's department stated the scam victim is called by an "authority" who claimed a family member was injured in a traffic accident. The message is then to obtain more information by contacting the Department of Public Safety trooper investigating the accident, but the number provided has an asterisk and the numbers "72" before the 10 digit number.

When people dial "*72" they forward their number to the number dialed afterward.

When the phone number is forwarded, the "scammer" can accept long distance collect calls and prompt high phone bills for the victim.

This forwarding mode is canceled by dialing "73#" from the telephone that dialed "*72".

The department spokesman added people should watch for anyone who tells them to call another number for accident information or to call someone for them and use the 72 as an extention to a number.