Phone scams

If you are interested, you can check your spam phone call numbers here: http://800notes.com/, feel free to add your spam calls to their directory. Add your number to the Federal Do Not Call List: https://donotcall.gov/.
The following are scams I can't even report to the FCC because they don't idenify themselves or can't be traced.
They also violate laws: either 1) They do not identify who they are, 2) They do not identify what they want, 3) They operate by message service, leaving annoying messages on my machine or to answer the phone for them when I pick up (illegal to do), 4) They wait longer than 2 seconds to respond to my voice (illegal), 4) They LIE, 5) They piss me off.
I'm not sure all of those are illegal activities. I report any identifiable phone calls to the FCC and those stop pretty quickly. These are mainly the unidentifiable ones, and some others that I find equally annoying so I'm posting them too:

  • This message is neither a sales nor a solicitation call. Please contact us regarding this urgent outstanding matter at 1-800-295-0851 as soon as possible. We are open until 10pm central standard time, Monday through Thursday, 9pm central standard time on Friday, and 5pm central standard time on Saturday.
    January 2012. Nice British lady voice. Caller does not identify self. People on the internet seem to think it's a debt collector looking for people who know someone who owes money or something, but that doesn't excuse not identifying themselves. I have no obligation to talk to someone who fails to identify themselves.
  • This is your final courtesy call before we close the file on your annual credit card account revue. We have sent you several courtesy notices to your residence. This will be the last time to take advantage in lowering your credit card interest rate to as little as 6% on all your credit card accounts. The only requirement is you must owe at least $3,000 between all your credit card accounts and have one in good standing. Press 1 now to speak to a friendly customer services agent.
    Lie #1: They do not know me or they would have said anything whatsoever to verify that they did, like my name for example, or my address which they claim to have sent messages to. Lie #2: This was not the final, nor was it even the 300th from final repeat call of this exact same message. If it were truly the "final" call, then I wouldn't get the damn call 500 times. There's no way to stop it because they always call when I'm not home, leave a message, and no number to call and harrass them back at.
  • (message cut off by answering machine) ...to repeal the Health Care Act. Now is the time for us to gather so much momentum that Congress has no option but repeal this destructive law. Now we've got a goal of $11,494 official petitions in your congressional district. We've got to purchase $65,000 of air time in your congressional district in order to effectively stop Obama-care. If I have your permission to enroll your name on the official petition to Congress to repeal the Health Care Act, Press 1. If I have your permission to enroll your name on the official petition to Congress to repeal the Health Care Act, Press 1. If not, press 2.
    Lie #1: Sort of a lie - I believe these sort of petition signings were made illegal, not that Republicans care about that sort of thing. Lie #2: If the numbers quoted actually were unique to my congressional district then the message was unique to my congressional district as well and the message would have named the congressional district in stead of making it so obvious that the numbers were the same on every single message, for every single district, and therefore a lie. Lie #3: They do not identify me by name because this number is not associated with my name, pressing a number will not add my own name to a petition but someone else's name, therefore breaking the law. I believe that is why these sorts of petitions are supposed to be illegal. Oh well.
  • There's no problems currently with your account. It is urgent, however, that you contact us concerning your eligibility for lowering your interest rate to as little as 6.9%. Your eligibility expires shortly, so please consider this your final notice. Please press 1 now on your phone to speak with a live operator and lower your interest rates. Or Press 2 to discontinue further notices. Thank you and have a great day.
    Lie #1: What account - interest rate on what exactly? Lie #2: Oh how I wish I could press 2, even on the answering machine message, and that would still stop these annoying messages. Lie #3: eligibility never expires shortly, because they just keep calling.
  • (message cut off by answering machine) ...now. It is urgent that you contact us concerning your eligibility for lowering your interest rate to as little as 6.9%. Your eligibility expires shortly so please -sider this your final notice. Press the number 3 to discontinue further notices. Or press the number 1 on your phone now to speak with a live operator and lower your interest rate. Thank you. Have a great day.
    Just tacky that this recording has this faint cell phone going off in the background, so when you hear it over and over it's all that more obvious that it's just a bad recording. Another sign it's a bad recording: the speaker was speaking so fast they couldn't say the word 'consider' properly.
  • (message cut off by answering machine) ...accounts. This is your second and final notice to lower your credit card interest rate and payments. Press 1 now to sign up the terms, conditions, and associated changes before the next billing cycle. Again, this is your final notice, as it relates to the financial stimulus. So press 1 now to take advantage of this today.
    Lie #1: I wish it really were the second and final notice, unfortunately I received this exact message so many times it was a lie every time I heard it.
  • My name is Arthur Cunningham. My office has been trying to reach you in regards to a matter that does concern you directly. Please contact my office back at 877-365-0306. Again this is a time sensitive matter that does concern you directly. You can reach my office at 877-365-0306. Thank you.
    Lie #1: This scary man voice is telling me it concerns me directly but he doesn't even know my name. Lie #2: People on the web report having answered the phone and have the person from this number asking them for their Social Security Number, etc.
  • This message is for (strange name). My name is Miss Anita. I need an immediate return call concerning a situation that has come across my desk that involves you directly. We have already verified that this is a correct number to contact you. Do not continue to disregard this message. I am due to make a decision today. My number is 877-383-0433 extension 1912. Again, if I do not hear from you before 6pm your time I will have to make a decision on your behalf. Again, my direct contact number is 877-383-0433, ext.1912. This call does require your immediate attention.
    Lie #1: It's possible that this person exists and has someone after him, but I can tell the voice of someone reading a passage off a piece of paper when I hear it. Lie #2: Americans don't typically refer to their first name as Miss so&so, but they do that sort of thing in the Nigerian scam emails I get all the time. Lie #3: Reply back at 6pm your time? No companies say that sort of thing, that just means 'whenever' because they don't even know what time it is here. In short: someone will answer the phone because the scams run 24/7. Lie #4: People on the web report that answering this call when it is made results in the caller hanging up. They don't want you dealing the true calling number. The same number gave the next message as well.
  • (strange name), this is Mr. Ahmet, I'm calling you in regards to a matter which warrants your attention at this time. I need for you or someone representing you to return my call as soon as possible in order to get this matter cleared up. Again, my name is Mr. Ahmet. The best number to reach me at will be 877-383-0433, extension 1926.
    This message was interesting because the speaker paused before reading "his name" and then quickly rushed through it into the following passage, making it unintelligible. Guilt, anyone? Scammers should be a little more shameless if they want to be convincing.
  • (cut off by answering machine) ...account. This is your second and final notice, to reduce your current credit card interest rate to as little as 6.9%, as you should have received mail. Press 1 now to speak to our friendly customer service representatives. The only requirement is that you must have at least $4,000 in total credit card debt between all of your credit card accounts and one of them in good standing. Press 1 to speak to a live representative and press 3 to be removed from this SPECIAL list. Thank you.
    Notice the typical bad grammar of a foreign speaker, "as you should have received mail." This message was read by a young, friendly American female voice, but the writing skills of the scammer are obvious in text form. The readers of all these scams are well-spoken English speakers, but when you look at the text it is sometimes clear that they were hired by outside companies who didn't know proper English.

15 comments:

  1. For months now I have been getting this whoever company calling multiple times daily with the message "This is your second and final notice to lower your credit card interest rate". Over and over and over. I do not have caller ID so I do not have their no. but I don't think that would do any good anyway since I am pretty sure it is unlisted. I have pressed one as the robocaller suggests and when I got a person I asked what company this was....they hung up IMMEDIATELY.

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    Replies
    1. I have gotten this exact call several times a week for years. When i ask very nicely to put me on their do not call list they hang up on me. Its so frustrating because I still get these calls after trying to stop them politely.

      Delete
  2. I was consistently getting the "second and final" call about credit interest. I pressed one and got an operator. I told them I was responding to their offer to lower my credit and was asked how much debt I had. I told them about 1.5 million dollars. They paused and passed me on to the "Dummy" department (no kidding). I held on until someone picked up. They asked me to confirm soc. sec. (fake) and address (again, fake). I again told them I had 1.5 million dollars debt. They paused and passed me on to the "Idiot" department. What freaking nerve! It was just then when I exploded in expletives. Is there nothing we can do about these companies? The number keeps changing so I can't block it.

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  3. I got those calls at least two a day. One day I decided to push the button that connects you with a live person. I asked to whom I was talking to and got prompt a name and some sort of international bank. When I answered to this information - great, now I have a name, we are on the do-not-call list and will sue you and your company for harassment, I got a immediate hung-up and for the last 4 month no calls from those various numbers.

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  4. I have received 4 of these calls today. Caller ID says Bank Card Services, RX Assistance and just a number. When I pushed the button to talk to someone I asked what bank it was that was calling and they hung up.

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  5. NIGERIAN SCAM

    YOUR MONEY

    From: U.N. Compensation rodneybentbent_usa@rediffmail.com rodneybent_usa@rediffmail.com
    To:
    Sent: Sunday, May 5, 2013 11:19 PM
    Subject: REF: UN/144/IMF-13CP

    United Nations Finance Department,
    United Nations Liaison Office,
    United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017
    United States of America

    Dear Beneficiary,

    We hereby inform you that the Compensation Fund Committee United Nations(CFCUN) have approved The total sum of Two Hundred and Twenty Million, Seven Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (US$220,700,000.00) for the support of natural disaster victims worldwide such as Tsunami and Hurricane, denied beneficiary claims, Internet and local scam victims,Insurance fraud, Accident victims and so many others.

    The CFCUN is supervised by the United Nations Security Council and Its mandate is to coordinate with various international law enforcement agencies to retrieve lost funds and the amount above has been approved for payment through the World Bank's correspondent banks. Selected individual(s) will receive the sum of US$18,600,000.00 each.

    This Payment has been approved by the United Nations Finance Department and guaranteed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and other international Finance Agencies for payment to selected beneficiaries in Australia, Asia, America, United Kingdom, Canada, Europe and Africa.

    Note that you have been selected to receive this compensation payment of US$18,600,000.00 only as approved by the United Nations and you should contact our representative through email and phone with the information below for the immediate release of your payment within the next 48 hours through our paying bank.

    CONTACT PERSON: DR. DAVID RAY (paying officer)
    E-mail: davidray013@yahoo.cn
    Tel: +1-347-433-8991 or 347-810-3894

    Your assigned payment reference number is UN/144/IMF-13CP and your payment code which must be included in the subject of your email is CUN210 and be assured that your compensation payment will be released to you through any means of your choice without any further delay as soon as you contact the paying officer named above.

    WARNING: For security reasons you are not allowed to correspond with any unauthorized individual or offices in-line with this payment mandate and any unauthorized distribution of the contents of this mail will be fully prosecuted.

    Best Regards,
    Mr. Rodney Bent
    Director of Information
    United Nations Organization

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  6. This is who they are: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/your-money/telemarketers-tactics-and-regulators-response-elicit-complaints.html

    File a complaint with donotcall.gov (although it seems to do no good) and Tweet to the two public servants noted in the article.

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  7. I press "1", get a representative, and the press a loud air horn into the phone. My earlier whistle wasn't sufficient. The "No Call List" is useless. Can't get to the top crooks, but I can (I hope) harm the hearing of the bottom crooks. Perhaps if working for crooks becomes unpleasant enough, no one will work for them.

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  8. I've tried blocking these calls, they just come back a few days later from a different #; when I look up that # it's always some cell phone from various states around the country and nothing further.

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  9. I get calls from California, Virginia, Washington, different area codes in Texas, and even one from Russia! I never answer, they don't leave message and if they do I can't understand what they're saying. Scammers no doubt. I just delete the number. I've tried the No Call list but still get calls.

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  10. If I knew their number, I would file a complaint on the FTC website (https://complaints.donotcall.gov/complaint/complaintcheck.aspx) to tell them to buzz off.

    Annoying calls that are persistent.

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  11. I get around all this easily because my answering machine says this when you call: "This is (xxx) xxx-xxxx [my real number]. Please say who's calling, and we'll pick up right now. If we can't pick up, please leave a message, and we'll call you right back." That's short enough not to annoy friends and clear enough to cause most scammers to hang up promptly. Robocallers hang up as soon as they sense an answering machine. Anyone else who can't be bothered at least to identify himself doesn’t deserve an answer, and doesn’t get one. If it’s a legitimate call, they’ll call again later or send an email or letter. That's seldom the case.

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  12. Hii I am zeesan Ali india madam zara williams personal file no

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  13. I've actually talk to a live person he told me I won a contract inheritance fun,contract sum 10.3million.he sent me an email from Washington email:info@fbioffice.org it also says to get hold of the bank SunTrust bank USA how do I find out if it's a scam or not

    ReplyDelete