Credit Card telemarketer shyster...

[Anonymous]

Alright, I've had this telemarketing group call me up a few times already. Basically I get some female voice (automated) telling me how THEY are calling me about my credit card account.  Notice how THEY don't even specifically tell me who THEY are, just that somehow THEY know about my account!

Then there is some blah-blah speach about lowering my interest rate.... (uhh.huh..)

And then I'm supposed to press 9 to talk to a live represtentative (how nice).

I once pressed 9 and waited in the que for some time, until finally someone who I couldn't understand very well started to talk to me. I couldn't much make out what he was saying so I simply told him, "Well LISTEN.  It was YOU that called me!..." where I was instantly hung-up on at that point.

Assuming I keep getting these calls, I'm wondering what whitty responses you guys can come up so I can really grill it to these telemarkets about MY credit account.

[MarineVietVet]

Have you registered all your phones with the National Do Not Call Registry?

If so you can also file complaints on the same site.

From a BK years ago to:
EX - 9/09 pulled by lender 802, EQ - 10/10-813, TU - 10/10-774

"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they've made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem".

[DI]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Alright, I've had this telemarketing group call me up a few times already. Basically I get some female voice (automated) telling me how THEY are calling me about my credit card account.  Notice how THEY don't even specifically tell me who THEY are, just that somehow THEY know about my account!

Then there is some blah-blah speach about lowering my interest rate.... (uhh.huh..)

And then I'm supposed to press 9 to talk to a live represtentative (how nice).

I once pressed 9 and waited in the que for some time, until finally someone who I couldn't understand very well started to talk to me. I couldn't much make out what he was saying so I simply told him, "Well LISTEN.  It was YOU that called me!..." where I was instantly hung-up on at that point.

Assuming I keep getting these calls, I'm wondering what whitty responses you guys can come up so I can really grill it to these telemarkets about MY credit account.

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I received a called like that a year ago.  Its a fraud!  When they called they mentioned something about lowering my APR on a card that I never carried a balance on. 

[Walt_K]

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@DI wrote:

I received a called like that a year ago.  Its a fraud!  When they called they mentioned something about lowering my APR on a card that I never carried a balance on. 

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I also had a similar experience.  It seemed like some sort of phishing scam.  They wanted me to verify personal information and when I asked them which card exactly they were calling about, the person hung up on me.  That was probably about a year ago and I haven't received another call since. 

[Anonymous]

The first time I got this call, I didn't even HAVE a credit card at that time! So yes, I was suspicious.

I'm not too sure it's another phishing scam, I feel it's more of a really bad & unethical telemarketing promo.

[tinuviel]

I received one of those calls last fall. It came through at an inconvenient moment, so I hung up on the automated voice. I was also both perplexed and suspicious, so I did a google search on "phone call credit card lower interest scam," which brought up a slew of links describing this as a phishing scam. NEVER give out sensitive financial info to anyone who calls you out of the blue. If it's a legitimate company, they should already have your information on file and in front of them.

[tinuviel]

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@Anonymous wrote:

The first time I got this call, I didn't even HAVE a credit card at that time! So yes, I was suspicious.

I'm not too sure it's another phishing scam, I feel it's more of a really bad & unethical telemarketing promo.

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The google searches that I've done on this describe it as a vishing scam, which combines the words "voice" and "phishing." It involves using VoIP (Voice over IP) technology to spoof the phone number on caller ID, making it appear as if it's coming from a land line. The wikipedia article on vishing describes it as:

"Vishing exploits the public's trust in landline telephone services, which have traditionally terminated in physical locations known to the telephone company, and associated with a bill-payer. The victim is often unaware that VoIP makes formerly difficult-to-abuse tools/features of caller ID spoofing, complex automated systems (IVR), low cost, and anonymity for the bill-payer widely available. Vishing is typically used to steal credit card numbers or other information used in identity theft schemes from individuals."

Thus, the technique depends upon gaining the trust of the person being called and enticing them to give over their credit card number(s).

[Anonymous]

Well, when I"m put in a holding que, I often take that as a REAL telemarketing agency, but I suppose a more cleaver phishing scam could easily simulate that as well to add confidence.

Next time I get the call, I'll try to do my best to see if I can PHISH my own information out of them. Hopefully get some sort of web-site address, or some sort of JUNK in the mail, anything that can be physical...

Suggestions?

BTW, yes I know clear well by now that when ever they DON'T tell you what card they are from, but just say YOUR CREDIT CARD COMPANY, it's never legit. I learned my lesson from this years ago with a real-life gas-company shyster that came to my door. I got taken for a ride there... NEVER AGAIN!

[Anonymous]

[QUOTE]Have you registered all your phones with the National Do Not Call Registry?

[/quote]

Been there done that years ago. I suppose that only adds more evidence that this is a fraud.

[Anonymous]

BTW, thanks for the info gusy. I did some researching, and now have changed my mind. I am 99% certain that this is now a phishing scam, and not just unethical telemarketing. 

Since they seem to be trying to HIT me continually over the many past months, I think I'll at least search around for some sort of tool to reccord phone conversations into digital format. Maybe those could have some use down the road.... like in court or simply self-amusement.