To those who hate telemarketers, Caller ID has been a blessing. If you see a number you don’t recognize, just ignore it and let the annoying caller leave a message.
Sadly, I’m not wired that way. I secretly harbor guilt that I haven’t paid a bill somewhere, and assume it is a bill collector. And if it isn’t a bill collector, it is a telemarketer, and I want to have some fun at their expense.
The call I received on this day was a new one. I answered and was greeted by a recording of a “Heather” saying she was calling from “(my) credit card company” and if I was interested in lowering my interest rate, I should “press 1”.
My Spidey Sense kicked in at this point, thinking “SCAM!” So I did what any reasonable person would do. I pressed 1 on my phone. I laughed to myself as I sat on hold for five minutes. I wondered if anyone really sat on hold for five minutes thinking this was legitimate. Finally a woman answered the phone. “Hi! Did you press 1 to get a lower interest rate?”
“Yes,” I replied, “but I’d like to know where you’re calling from.”
“I’m calling from Card Services.”
“From which credit card company.”
The one that services your Mastercard, Visa or American Express.”
Okay, this is where I know I’m being scammed. I press further. “Which card are you offering to lower?” I asked.
“Sir, we’re offering to lower the interest rate on your Mastercard, Visa, or American Express.”
“Which one and through which bank? It’s a simple question?”
Click.
I called the number on my caller ID. The message said that the number had been disconnected. So the boiler room that called me spoofed the Caller ID number.
I decided to Google the number. I found a link to 800notes.com, a website that allows people to post information about the numbers that show up on their caller ID and where they are coming from. Several people there indicate that they too feel it is a scam, with people saying claiming to be from a legitimate organization phishing for information about your credit cards.
I called my phone company to report what had happened. They indicated that if I receive a call that I would like to report to law enforcement, I could dial *57 for a trace of the call to be recorded for law enforcement. Although it was $3 to do so, I decided it was worth the money and did so. I then reported the call to the Federal Trade Commission using their complaint form.
What is truly upsetting about this is that my reasonable attempts to block such calls were not enough to ensure my safety in the matter. While it is obvious that placing your name on the National Do Not Call Registry doesn’t keep a criminal from attempting to call you, it would seem as though there should be a law preventing people from using special techniques to misidentify their phone number on Caller ID. There is not, but legislation has been introduced, including Senate Bill S.704 and House Bill HR251 to address this issue.
So how can you protect yourself?
The easiest way is not to answer any call that registers a caller ID number you do not recognize. Once the phone stops ringing, call the number back to see if it rings through to a legitimate place of business. You can also look the number up on 800notes.com to see the reports of other people receiving calls from the same number. If you feel that the call is a scam, contact your phone company immediately to inquire about tracing the call. Then report the call to the police, your attorney general in your state, and the Federal Trade Commission. Under no circumstances should you give personal information or financial information to someone who calls you with a solicitation. If the offer sounds like one you wish to pursue, explain that you’re concerned about the legitimacy of the offer and ask the person to send you the offer via mail and to provide a call back number for further questions. If they can’t do either then politely end the call and take the appropriate steps to report the call.
