Phone Scam

[jsteinhauer]

This was a new one for me. It apparently happened to many in the local community when an ISP got hacked.

We got a call early Sunday morning (weird time) by an automated system claiming to be our bank and informing that there was suspicious activity on our debit card and they were freezing it. It instructed to enter the card number. My wife who answered the phone was half asleep, said screw it and hung up the phone. We called the bank later, and of course they had no record of this.

My other card company often calls regarding suspicious activity (I make lots of suspicious purchases) using an automated system, but they never ask to enter the card number, only the billing address zip code.

Be wary. These things will become more and more frequent in bad times.

[E55 KEV]

I have received similar calls in the last couple weeks. I knew it was a scam so I tried messing with it by putting in a phoney random 16 digit credit card number just to see what the next stop would be but it did not take. AZZHOLES!

[jw]

Originally Posted by jsteinhauer

This was a new one for me. It apparently happened to many in the local community when an ISP got hacked.

We got a call early Sunday morning (weird time) by an automated system claiming to be our bank and informing that there was suspicious activity on our debit card and they were freezing it. It instructed to enter the card number. My wife who answered the phone was half asleep, said screw it and hung up the phone. We called the bank later, and of course they had no record of this.

My other card company often calls regarding suspicious activity (I make lots of suspicious purchases) using an automated system, but they never ask to enter the card number, only the billing address zip code.

Be wary. These things will become more and more frequent in bad times.

do you have a Chase card? Biggest PITA I have ever had, we have to call daily

[quexos]

Whenever I hear this I'm always so glad I don't have a credit card. Also I know to never provide this kind of info on websites or when asked. I know my bank will never ask me that kind of data so I know it is a scam whenever anyone or anything asks for it. I'm unscammable man !

[Blu-Benny]

me & my wife each have a card for the one account we have. that way i can keep track of everything goin on w/it. i also have a debit card so i can use it if my wife takes the check book. other than that, we don't have anything else. no need to either.

[toef]

I've recently gotten calls from my CC company, asking if I wanted to sign up for their new identity-theft insurance.

For some reason, that kind of thing annoys me.

Maybe I'm just naive to think that part of the CC company's responsibility in the first place is to protect my account from fraud. The latest thing is the new "recession protection plan" in which you pay them an annual fee, and then if you lose your job, they'll put a hold on the interest and payments for a few months, so you can get back on your feet. How nice of them. Take advantage of people's fear that their job might be the next to get axed, and collect a nice fee in the process.

Another example is the post office charging for insurance. How about no. A government run agency should be able to assure me that my mail won't get lost or stolen en route to it's destination. I shouldn't have to pay extra for them to do their job better. (Though I guess in a way the insurance might cut down on mail-fraud, because insurance requires a delivery confirmation, and it'd be impossible to do that for every piece of mail).

[NJ_RAMS_FAN]

my co-worker got a phony call but it didn't deal with credit card. His grandmother got a call from supposedly a lawyer in Canada stating that his brother was caught drunk driving with a rental car in canada. Then the lawyer put "his brother" on the phone and told the grandmother not to tell his parents. Then ask her to transfer him a couple of grands to pay the fees and penalties. My co-worker grandmother didn't know what to do so she called the parents about it. The father thought it was little strange because he had just spoke to his brother on the phone and he stated he was in school. It turns out he was in school and never was in Canada.

People are crazy man. but whoever gets caught sending money is dump IMO. for example, the whole Nigerian scam about sending a few thousands in returns of millions. Whoever gets caught sending money on this scam is dumb. I'm sorry..

[xtop]

haven't got that. but i know the one i am so tired of is

THIS IS YOUR 2ND NOTICE...THAT YOUR CAR WARRANTY...

how do they even get my cell number?!

[NJ_RAMS_FAN]

Originally Posted by xtop

haven't got that. but i know the one i am so tired of is

THIS IS YOUR 2ND NOTICE...THAT YOUR CAR WARRANTY...

how do they even get my cell number?!

I got that one!!! not to long ago.. I was like.. What the hell.. It wasn't 3 years yet(3 year warranty) but how did they know my mileage was over..lol..

[xtop]

Originally Posted by melsbluespecv

I got that one!!! not to long ago.. I was like.. What the hell.. It wasn't 3 years yet(3 year warranty) but how did they know my mileage was over..lol..

at first i was like..wtf..never had a warranty, i know its way over even if i did. then after i got more calls i'm like oh..they just call everyone looking for money

[NJ_RAMS_FAN]

Originally Posted by xtop

at first i was like..wtf..never had a warranty, i know its way over even if i did. then after i got more calls i'm like oh..they just call everyone looking for money

I only got it once.. I was like.. Did i used my cell phone number on the application..lol.. but I do hate those CC companies calling for theft protection. I always tell them I have one set up already.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

Never, ever, ever give out a credit/debit card number or any other account information over the phone (neither by stating it nor by entering it on the phones's keypad) to someone who called you (even if its an automated message).

Even if it really is your bank or whatever calling, you have no way of knowing for sure if it's them or someone pulling a scam. Insist that you call them back. And then, do NOT call back any number that they give you or any number that shows up on your caller ID, etc.

Call the number that is listed on you credit/debit card, on any actual account documentation that you may have, or on the bank's website (making sure that you go directly to their website, and aren't linked there from someplace else that could possibly be linking you to a phony copy that will scam you), etc.

Even if the number you are calling doesn't go directly to the person you called, assuming they are on the level, whoever you do get ahold of should either be able to direct you to that person, help you with whatever the issue is (if there was indeed an actual issue), or direct you to someone else entirely who can help you with the issue or confirm that there is no issue to begin with, meaning that it is likely a scam.


Following these basic rules will help a lot in preventing identity theft, and yet so many people fall victim to it under these circumstances.



The other day my wife and I were listening to a message on our answering machine saying that 'you' won a car (it didn't specify either of us by name). And we both looked at each other and both confirmed that neither of us had entered any contests that could potentially result in winning a car, so we just blew it off, figuring it was a scam (which it most likely was).

[lutefisk69]

Originally Posted by xtop

haven't got that. but i know the one i am so tired of is

THIS IS YOUR 2ND NOTICE...THAT YOUR CAR WARRANTY...

how do they even get my cell number?!

I get them like 2-3 times a week. These are awful.