Beware Credit Card Phone call offering to lower your rate on your credit card....

[Gerry]

For starters, here is the phone number that will show up:

Arlington WA
1-360-474-3901

The call states something like "there is nothing wrong with your credit or payment, please stay on the line to learn how to lower your rate to 6.99%".

I did not intend to stay on the line but someone promptly came on and said, "You're holding for the lower interest rate, correct?". That immediately made me suspicious.

I replied, "Yeah, sure. Who doesn't want a lower rate. What credit card are you calling about?"

"Your Visa or Mastercard."

I said, "Okay. And which bank are you with and which Visa or Mastercard are we talking about?"

The next sound was, CLICK. Dial tone.


This was obviously was scam to get you into a loop of divulging your personal information along with existing credit card numbers.

I'll be calling the authorities in Arlington Washington along with State Attorney General's office.


Be careful...along with people selling domain names they don't own there are plenty of other people out there waiting to part you and your money.

 

[katherine]

Probably a spoofed number but thanks for the heads-up

 

[Gerry]

Called the Sheriff's office for that county. Turns out it is an area code and number affiliated in the Seattle area.

 

[Raider]

I can't believe what I'm reading in this thread.

Maybe the OP can tell us why this call is any different than the 100's of other calls most of us receive?

I don't think a week goes by that I don't get a call or two from someone trying to scam me out of something, whether it be a loan, credit card, phone card, timeshare, solar panels, and YES, even personal information.. ANY legitimate bank or CC company almost always begins the call disclosing their Business name, followed by a verification process, this did NOT happen, and because it did not happen, I would of hung up the phone after I heard "there is nothing wrong with your credit"

CLICK!


And like the Sheriff is really go to do something when a crime was NOT committed.

 

[grcorp]

If you really want to nail them, act interested.

They'll project a fake identity to the greatest extent they can (name, company name, phone number, etc.) - but they can't hide EVERYTHING.

My best suggestion to "trap" them is to say, "well, I answer the phone for _______, because he's deaf. But let me tell you, he pays over 20% on his credit card, and doesn't seem to care.

So, tell me, what information do you need? And where can I fax it to?"

That sort of thing.

 

[JohnnJohnn is verified member.]

Just don't pick up the phone if you don't know the caller number.
If it's important they will leave a message.

 

[Gerry]

Just don't pick up the phone if you don't know the caller number.
If it's important they will leave a message.

Unfortunately, in my present position I am in contact with many agencies throughout the country and do not know their numbers by heart. Yes, they call on the mobile phone and on the home phone as well as email.

I just happened to be in my home office when the phone rang and I answered it.

As for Sanctus Fungus Amoungus getting 100s of calls...well, you're really "exposed" and on too many calling lists and signed up for too many promos.

Some of us don't get such calls and typically unable to catch the number and place.

And let's give it up to the Arlington Washington county's Sheriff's division for wanting to take my call and putting me through to the their Fraud Division.

 

[JohnnJohnn is verified member.]

I got about 5-10 calls like this everyday. I think in your situation you have to pick up the phone.
As soon as you know who they are - put them on hold and go the the bath room.

 

[Gerry]

I got about 5-10 calls like this everyday. I think in your situation you have to pick up the phone.
As soon as you know who they are - put them on hold and go the the bath room.

Actually, I'll just carry the phone to the bathroom with me and keep them on thru the flush cycle.

 

[JohnnJohnn is verified member.]

Beside these scam calls I also get a lot of call from Republican/Democrat calls about campaign.

When I get call from Republican I say " Can I put you on hold? I am on the phone with Obama" and when call came from Democrat I say "Can I call you back? I am talking to Romney now?"

 

[Gerry]

Yup, the political calls and party calls are definitely on the rise. Unless you have an unpublished number, you are fair game for them and the charities that come along with the territory (how many police associations can there possibly be per state?).

One call came in the other night labeled GALLOP POLL on caller ID. I just let that one call over to the answering machine.

 

[Raider]

Just by coincidence, I got a call several hours ago from somebody but it was a recording saying to please stay on the line to learn how to lower my mortgage rate to 3.0%,

I was real hungry for some Chick-Fil-A and was ready to hang up but suddenly someone came on the line and said, "You're holding for the lower interest rate, correct?" This IMMEDIATELY made me very suspicious, so I replied and asked; Hey, who doesn't want a lower rate? I then asked which Mortgage he was calling about?, my 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th? he said he's calling about all of them and that I can consolidate and have a lower payment, I then asked him; How could you possibly know I have more than one mortgage?

The next sound I heard was a CLICK and then a dial tone.

My question must of really tripped him up... This was obviously a SCAMMER trying to get my personal information, perhaps so he could use to it to buy his own house or car using my name!, or maybe buy Rick Schwartz's domain portfolio!

Being the good Samaritan and drama queen that I am, I dropped everything I was doing, I couldn't even think about the hot crispy chicken waiting for me at Chick-Fil-A, I picked up the phone and began calling the authorities, First the Sheriff, then the DA, then the State Attorney General, After that I called the Fire dept, just in case this Scammer tried to burn my house down to hide all the evidence, you can never be too safe!

So BEWARE!!!

 

[eeedc]

Someone who sounded like she was from/in Africa called me claiming to be from the Federal Government claiming received a grant of $7,000 which I would not have to pay back. Of course I had to go to Western Union....
But I was pissed that these scams from moved up from spam email to the phone.