Oh-my-gosh!
This is a new low in scams.
Someone calls you and says they're from the CHP, there's been an accident and you need to hit star 72 (*72) and a phone number for more information.
People panic and do it.
Then they get hit with a HUGE phone bill, because they activated the call-forwarding function of their phone. So the scammer makes calls on their nickel.
Don't believe it!
The CHP won't call you, inmates can make more than one call (and they're COLLECT calls anyway -- not collect, not from the jail -- trust me!), and the phone company isn't testing their equipment.
No, no, no!
Check it out: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/20/BARE131A06.DTL
Don't be a victim! Fight back and when in doubt, hang up that phone, turn off that computer, close that door. Don't let scammers Bogart you!
The BULL DROPPINGS get deeper every day! Don't let them smell up your life!
Showing posts with label phone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label phone. Show all posts
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Same Scams, Different Year
Yes, we're starting a new year today.
The scammers are going to keep trying to separate you from your money. You're going to see many of the same scams with a different faces.
I can promise you, if you have e-mail, you'll get warnings from banks that you don't have accounts with, PayPal confirmation e-mails for products you didn't order (and they won't have your name on the e-mail), threats, cons, begging letters and of course, the all-popular "you have won" scams.
If you have a phone, you may get calls from bill collectors about paid off accounts from 20 years ago. Or about "bounced" checks that you never wrote. Or accounts you've never heard of (hey, follow up on those by checking your credit reports, some are ID theft!).
And don't forget, NEVER give out your personal information over the phone, Internet or by mail to someone who contacts you, especially if it's "out of the blue". Even if you know you owe a bill, don't give your information over the phone. Make them send you a letter, or go directly to the appropriate website to pay the bill. NEVER pay bills over the phone to a "bill collector".
It's too hard to tell the real from the fake, so my personal response is always the same. "Send me a letter about it." With a letter, an address, a phone number, I can figure out if it's really something I owe or if it's just another scammer working at getting my money!
Be careful out there in cyberspace and the real world in the new year. I'll be careful too.
The scammers are going to keep trying to separate you from your money. You're going to see many of the same scams with a different faces.
I can promise you, if you have e-mail, you'll get warnings from banks that you don't have accounts with, PayPal confirmation e-mails for products you didn't order (and they won't have your name on the e-mail), threats, cons, begging letters and of course, the all-popular "you have won" scams.
If you have a phone, you may get calls from bill collectors about paid off accounts from 20 years ago. Or about "bounced" checks that you never wrote. Or accounts you've never heard of (hey, follow up on those by checking your credit reports, some are ID theft!).
And don't forget, NEVER give out your personal information over the phone, Internet or by mail to someone who contacts you, especially if it's "out of the blue". Even if you know you owe a bill, don't give your information over the phone. Make them send you a letter, or go directly to the appropriate website to pay the bill. NEVER pay bills over the phone to a "bill collector".
It's too hard to tell the real from the fake, so my personal response is always the same. "Send me a letter about it." With a letter, an address, a phone number, I can figure out if it's really something I owe or if it's just another scammer working at getting my money!
Be careful out there in cyberspace and the real world in the new year. I'll be careful too.
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