How The Scam Works:
Caller ID has been a blessing for many of us, allowing us to speak to who we want when we want, and ignoring callers with whom we don’t wish to connect. But sometimes a number will come up on our display screen that can leave us guessing. 1-800 numbers are a perfect example of this, especially one as vague as 800-000-0000.
Many of us are hesitant to ignore this type of call because it could be anyone and probably important. Scammers count on this attitude, and the Discount/Refund Call scam is centered on taking advantage of that fact. Lately, this scam has been making victims in the United States, UK, Canada, and Australia. How does it work?
There are two variations:
1. Credit On Your Phone Bill Scam
Watch the video below to see the Discount/Refund/Credit on Your Phone Bill scam exposed:
Discount on Your Phone Bill Scam Video
The caller states that they are a representative from any major telephone company in your country: Verizon, AT&T, Vodafone, Orange, BT, Telus, Rogers, Telstra, etc.) and are calling to inform you that you have a discount, refund, or credit due you on your bill. Once they have you excited about the possibility of getting a few bucks back – or taken off your next month’s bill – they will begin to ask you questions to “verify” your account.
Be forewarned! They are only trying to obtain your personal identifying information in an attempt to steal your identity or drain your bank account.
2. Extra Charges On Your Bill Scam
Watch the video below to see the Extra Charges on Your Phone Bill scam exposed:
Extra Charges on Your Bill Scam Video
In this case, the caller – still claiming to be from your cell phone network provider – says that there are some long-distance charges that have been added to your bill by mistake. After “verifying” with you that you are not the one calling abroad, the scammer offers to refund the amount on your credit card, if you provide the number.
Needless to say, once he has your credit card info (including the three numbers on the back), he can go shopping online for whatever he needs.
How To Avoid The Fake Discount Call Scam:
Mobile companies will never ask a customer to verify anything other than their zip code and cell phone number. Any other information being requested is a great indicator that the caller is not a real representative of these companies.
If you are in doubt, hang up and call them to verify the legitimacy of the call. Often you will find that the caller misrepresented him or herself, and you can pat yourself on the back for dodging the bullet of another scammer trying to separate you from your hard-earned cash – or possibly your identity altogether!
If the scammers offers to pay you back on the spot, tell him to put the amount towards your next bill. Call his bluff.
How To Report The Fake Discount Call Scam:
Make your family and friends aware of this scam by sharing it on social media using the buttons provided. You can also officially report the scammers to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) using the link below:
How To Protect Yourself More:
If you want to be the first to find out the most notorious scams every week, feel free to subscribe to the Scam Detector newsletter here. You’ll receive periodical emails and we promise not to spam. Last but not least, use the Comments section below to expose other scammers.
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We’ve had several calls from Steven with a strong Indian accent. When we refuse to give our information he says he’s going to F#ck us in our tight P#ssy.
My wife had a call from a lady saying that she won 2nd place in the sweepstakes. Better sit down because you just won $500,000. She was very friendly and asked a lot of questions but not her SS. When we asked questions she said the attorney would call you shortly. He said we would be on our stepstep Monday morning between 9 and 10. Then he started asking finance questions, I lost my cool and Yelled, SCAM – FRAUD. My wife could see the money and I coould see the fraud. Can you help us.