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Discussion Boards => Off-Topic => Topic started by: Penwoir on September 29, 2013, 06:58:16 am

Title: Scammers Beware !
Post by: Penwoir on September 29, 2013, 06:58:16 am: Here's one to watch out for.

I was going out the door to take my son to the hospital when my husband answered the phone from our credit card company telling us they could lower our interest rate. My husband was intriged, I was a bit skeptical. However the "bank" then proceeded to tell my husband what our current balance was on our credit card, how much our last payment was and what date we paid it. I whispered to my husband, "I think it's a scam". He didn't think so in light of the fact that they had all this accurate information.

He continued to talk to the person from the "bank", gave them our credit card number in order that they could transfer our higher credit card balance into a lower credit card account and, as I closed the front door to rush off to the hospital I shouted to my husband... "if it was OUR BANK they would already know what our account number is!!"

When I got back from the hospital my husband told me he'd called the bank, cancelled our credit cards and informed them of the scam. What we do not know, to this day, is how they already knew what our credit card balance was and how much/what date we last made a payment.

Shocking eh?
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: moon29 on September 29, 2013, 08:10:18 am: sounds like you followed your intuition and saved u and your family a whole lot of heart ache and trouble good for you. it is crazy how scammers get your info these days but i do know that when you are the gas pump to make sure you always push credit because they have devices similar to a card reader that if you push debt it steals your number and now they also have your pin. just something else we have to watch out for each day why cant people just be honest.
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: Penwoir on September 29, 2013, 10:47:10 am: Quote from: moon29 on September 29, 2013, 08:10:18 am
sounds like you followed your intuition and saved u and your family a whole lot of heart ache and trouble good for you. it is crazy how scammers get your info these days but i do know that when you are the gas pump to make sure you always push credit because they have devices similar to a card reader that if you push debt it steals your number and now they also have your pin. just something else we have to watch out for each day why cant people just be honest.
Your're absolutely right! It's a shame people can't be honest. I had done a transaction with my bank not just a couple of weeks before over the phone - I can't help but wonder if that started something off - although I don't like to think about it too much because it just gets so daunting how dishonest people are.

Thanks for your reply.
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: blondie71 on September 29, 2013, 10:50:59 am: My Brother had a similar problem. A (BANK) called him and told him he was over drawn on his account ( I forget how much) anyways they offered him a deal of paying half and they will for give the other half. So my brother came over with the information the bank was out of New York. He asked me what he should do and I told him don't do it. I told him this because he is unable to get a bank account due to bouncing his account and had not had one is over 8 years and he has never been in New York If it was the local banks who turned it over to collection it would be a collection agencies not another bank. They where trying to get money from him so it was a scam. Why do people do this? My brother has a wife and 5 kids he can't afford to be scammed he is smart he should of known better.
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: Nancy5 on September 29, 2013, 11:47:36 am: Good for you! That was SO smart on your part to say they should know the credit card number. I can understand how your husband might have gone along with it, considering they knew everything else. Thank God he was fast enough to cancel the credit card before it was too late! Good for both of you!!

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: Falconer02 on September 29, 2013, 11:56:33 am: Nice.
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: bowrunner on September 29, 2013, 03:10:37 pm: There seems to be so very many crooks out there now and they are very good with computers.
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: vickysue on September 29, 2013, 03:19:29 pm: I received a phone call a few months from some claiming to be my grandson, and that he was in Mexico and needed some money to fix his car so he could get home. Well i knew for a fact where my grandson was. And that was an amount of $1400.00. So i tried to get an address from him, but no, Just wanted me to send it to the post office by western union. Oh after getting over being mad I laughed so hard because he dang sure was not getting a penny from me. Us older folks have to be very careful because the crooks are out there trying every trick in the book to get money from us. I never give my bank account, credit card numbers out let alone my social securiy number.
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: crisstar on September 29, 2013, 03:53:20 pm: If you paid your bill online, then maybe someone's looking at your internet activity. Make sure you have a secure connection.
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: timvolley on September 29, 2013, 07:50:15 pm: at least you realize that was a scam. You really have to watch what info you give out with new scams every day being played out
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: davidh121 on September 29, 2013, 10:20:55 pm: Thieves are becoming much more clever nowadays, which is the reason I'm paranoid on so many more things. This has unfortunately made me more weary about things that could use a helping hand like certain fundraisers, non-profits and even some homeless I see on the streets.
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: oldbuddy on September 30, 2013, 06:23:21 am: I only need about 5 or 6 words until I hang up on these idiots.
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: meg0694 on September 30, 2013, 06:35:31 am: Yikes!! I would never give that info over the phone especially when they are the ones that called you. Be careful
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: springsgardner on September 30, 2013, 07:22:21 am: I get a similar call where a recording tells me that my credit card's interest rate could be lowered and that this is the last attempt they are going to make to help me out. Then, they tell me to wait for the next representative. The recording doesn't bother to tell me which credit card issuer it is.

I also get calls from the Windows Department telling me that I have a virus on my computer and that they are calling to help. They want me to grant them virtual access to my computer. HA! Not happening
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: msmoneybags48 on September 30, 2013, 07:50:12 am: Good for you. I had an e-mail from one of my contacts asking for money and asking me to send the money to London. I know the perswas surprised because I told him to have a Merry Christmas. After the Christmas holidays, she sent me an e-mail and said her computer had been hacked. :o :o :o :o :wave:
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: torch71 on September 30, 2013, 09:53:41 pm: Wow, seems like this type of activity/scams pick up heading into the holidays. Last year someone attempted to make purchases online/over the telephone using my card. Luckily, did not have the correct expiration date and I was contacted by the bank, card was cancelled.
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: darkxtsuna on October 01, 2013, 12:27:36 am: Got to tell my family about this thanks for the info.
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: dwggs on October 01, 2013, 07:42:34 am: I have caller ID so if it is a blocked # or even looks like a business # that I don't recognize ... I let the answering machine get it ... most of the time they hang up if they don't get a real person ... saves me the aggravation of having to politely tell a thief "No Thank You"
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: melissaotto1982 on October 01, 2013, 07:45:20 am: Its so scarey the amount of info they can get from people!!
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: waterbearer94 on October 01, 2013, 09:28:50 am: yup I wish all these scams would stop
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: mrisha on October 01, 2013, 04:13:57 pm: Scammers are up all night putting together some kind of scam. Some years ago a woman called me to tell me my account was overdrawn. Banks do not call you with personal info like this. I called the 800 number back because I was interested in how she was going to put the scam to me. She answered and told her why I called back and the first thing she says to me is "well honey I need you account number so I can check into my account". I told her my account number was 911 and that I was reporting her 800 number to them. I waited for about an hour and guess what the number had been disconnected.
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: angprescott on October 01, 2013, 04:28:26 pm: I never give my info over the phone, and if it is something I am interested in, I ask for their number, then ask them to call me back in a few minutes, most the time, they don't even call back, but If they do, I then try to get them to set up an appointment at my local branch and that will thin out the scams, they have no idea how to get you into see anyone.
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: countrygirl12 on October 01, 2013, 07:03:13 pm: I don't trust anybody. Good thing huh. I don't give any information to anybody on the phone. I am skeptical of giving info when I call them. lol
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: countrygirl12 on October 01, 2013, 07:05:10 pm: Quote from: moon29 on September 29, 2013, 08:10:18 am
sounds like you followed your intuition and saved u and your family a whole lot of heart ache and trouble good for you. it is crazy how scammers get your info these days but i do know that when you are the gas pump to make sure you always push credit because they have devices similar to a card reader that if you push debt it steals your number and now they also have your pin. just something else we have to watch out for each day why cant people just be honest.

Who you this? It isn't true. And it doesn't matter if "they" have your pin or not. And if you pay with a debit card then YES they have a credit card reader that reads your info. That is how you are billed. But it doesn't matter if you press debit or credit.
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: countrygirl12 on October 01, 2013, 07:09:43 pm: Quote from: springsgardner on September 30, 2013, 07:22:21 am
I get a similar call where a recording tells me that my credit card's interest rate could be lowered and that this is the last attempt they are going to make to help me out. Then, they tell me to wait for the next representative. The recording doesn't bother to tell me which credit card issuer it is.

I also get calls from the Windows Department telling me that I have a virus on my computer and that they are calling to help. They want me to grant them virtual access to my computer. HA! Not happening

My Mammaw got this call. Thing is it showed up on her caller ID as coming from McDonald's from a neighboring town.
The guy was from India who called her. She was upset and only hung up because she couldn't understand him. I can't seem to make her understand not to talk to ANYBODY who calls her telling her something is messed up on her accounts or computer and not to give ANYBODY information if they call her. If it is legit they know her name and address. Tell them to send it certified mail. And hang up.
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: countrygirl12 on October 01, 2013, 07:13:06 pm: Quote from: mrisha on October 01, 2013, 04:13:57 pm
Scammers are up all night putting together some kind of scam. Some years ago a woman called me to tell me my account was overdrawn. Banks do not call you with personal info like this. I called the 800 number back because I was interested in how she was going to put the scam to me. She answered and told her why I called back and the first thing she says to me is "well honey I need you account number so I can check into my account". I told her my account number was 911 and that I was reporting her 800 number to them. I waited for about an hour and guess what the number had been disconnected.

You better be careful doing that. There was another scam (and they called Mammaw too) where they told her they needed her to call them back and gave her a phone number. The ph number was routed to another country. It costs $25 per minute and YOU will pay the charges because YOU called the number. That one probably made me more mad than about anything. People who do this need to be shot. But since it originates in another country apparently there is nothing that can be done here.
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: chrystalslight on October 01, 2013, 07:39:11 pm: good job trusting your gut. it's awful how un-trustworthy people can be sometimes
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: Storm61115 on October 01, 2013, 07:58:15 pm: yes i work for chase bank as a telephone agent/banker and we get fraudsters all time. i know exactly what you're talking about. i get phone calls like this all the time and i just hang up on them. i dont know where they get the info but someone has to be getting it somewhere.
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: mstevenson2 on October 01, 2013, 09:47:41 pm: dont buy anything over the phone
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: ancmetro on October 05, 2013, 04:49:30 pm: Too many hackers and scammers in this world!
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: Lindaroof on October 05, 2013, 05:08:32 pm: Wow, this has become such a scary world anymore. I refuse to take calls of any kind now a days, you just can't trust anyone.
Title: Re: Scammers Beware !
Post by: cutiepie9447 on October 05, 2013, 06:30:35 pm: I've worked at several banks. A bank will NEVER call you and ask for your account number or any other personal information. If you have an overdraft, they will send you an email or a letter in the mail. If you ever get a call from a/your "bank" hang up!