I got an interesting call the other day. My cell rang and I picked it up. A woman with a heavy accent told me she was the operator and [garbled] was trying to call me collect but my phone wouldn’t accept collect calls. Would I like to put it on my credit card?
I said no.
I get scam calls on my work phone at least 3 times per week, sometimes multiples in a day. They usually start out “Congratulations! This is [random name] calling from WCA, and you or a family member registered online to receive valuable prizes…” Right about there is where I hang up angrily.
The caller ID number seems to change pretty often so I can’t figure out a way to ignore these calls – it’s not like I can stop answering my phone at work.
I’m getting daily calls at work too, except mine are an automated message from “your credit card company regarding your account”. Yeah, because my bank wouldn’t bother identifying themselves or me by name. :rolleyes: It’s frustrating because all I can do is hang up and swear under my breath.
Oh, I get those all the time, and they seem to come from phone numbers that might be legitimate! (Because of the nature of my work, I don’t have the luxury of being able to not answer calls that simply come from numbers I don’t recognize).
The funniest thing about it for me? I don’t have a credit card!
Not the whole area code for sure… but one of the spoofed-number scams I got once showed a 202 number.
These scams are common. They’re most often a credit card scam of some sort “Heather from Account Services”, or a car warranty scam. At least one company was shut down / fined for this behavior but they’re clever about not getting caught.
I once had them put me through to a live person; when I pointed out that it was illegal to call me per DNC rules the guy ARGUED with me that simply owning a credit card meant I opted in for such things.
A request to be removed from the list has ZERO effect.
I’ve been getting weird phone calls from a “J.D.” who claims that he’s trying to get in touch with me regarding a “George Rogers” who was “looking for help on the internet.” It’s a real guy who keeps leaving voice messages and asking me to call him back. Same phone number every time, from my own area code.
I’m baffled trying to figure out what kind of scam this is, or if it’s some sort of bill collector who’s trying to track down old George by any means possible. Any ideas? My curiosity has been piqued, but I’m obviously not going to call “J.D.” back to find out.
norinew:
Don’t take it personally (or state-ally). I’m in New York, and I’ve gotten the same thing.
You can sue them. This shit is illegal. There’s a guy in Houston who makes a living out of suing such telemarketers ($5,000 a pop PER offense PER call…and every such unsolicited call is an offense according to federal law AND failing to clearly identify the company and contact info in the initial recording or call is an offense in itself, etc…)
Record the calls. Call or otherwise contact the number/contact info given.
Record or otherwise document all transactions.
Pretend you are interested in their great offer, and try to get a call-back number and/or company name and/or mailing address (make up some cock and bull story about how your MIL has your credit card at the moment but you REALLY don’t want to miss out on this incredible deal and want to call right back/send in an order ASAP).
Record all the times they hang up on you when you ask for this info (that’s an offense…failing to offer info when it is requested) and keep calling back until you find out who they are.
THEN, either take them to small claims court OR send them a strongly worded letter (preferably registered) telling them to cease and desist or else.
That will usually do it.
I went through this with Dish Network (they have, as I discovered, a TERRIBLE record of this sort of illegal telemarketing, having been sued by the AGs of several states). They called me a few times a day for MONTHS, even after I asked them to stop (another violation carrying a $5,000 a pop penalty) and it was only after I used the above ruse to get a call back number and traced it via the internet to one of their PA offices (BINGO!) and threatened legal action did they cease their calls.
ETA: even if they are total “scammers”, the same tactics will often get you taken off their list. They are looking for victims/suckers, not informed, aware and pissed-off people willing to take the time to trace their ass.