Direct TV Scam Alert

[Skwim]

I just received a call from a person purporting to be from the technical department of Direct TV, who started out by having me check my TV reception because DTV was redirecting its satellite signal tomorrow and I might need a free upgrade for my receivers. And . . . . . because I'm such a "good costumer" he then offered to permanently reduce my monthly bill by $35 if I paid a one time fee of $149. Not a bad deal at all, until he said he needed my credit/debit card number to complete the transaction. I told him, I didn't call him, he called me, so he should have that information on hand, and that I would wait until he got it and read it back to me. After hemming and hawing he said he wasn't privy to such information, and handed me over to his supervisor, who only barely spoke better English. He told me that for security reasons he couldn't give out such information over the phone, but could put me back in touch with the technical department, to which I said "and what is he going to tell me that you can't?" His reply was just more tap dancing, at which time I hung up and called DTV Customer Services who told me they had no such discount program going on, and knew nothing about DTV redirecting its signal.

.

 

[Revoltingest]

When I get such requests for info, our office procedures require that we get the caller's....
- Home address
- Bank account & routing numbers
- Full name
- Social Security number
- Mother's maiden name
- Employment history
- Residence history
- Home & cel phone numbers
- High school & college transcripts
- Shoe size
- Credit reports by 3 agencies

 

[exchemist]

When I get such requests for info, our office procedures require that we get the caller's....
- Home address
- Bank account & routing numbers
- Full name
- Social Security number
- Mother's maiden name
- Employment history
- Residence history
- Home & cel phone numbers
- High school & college transcripts
- Shoe size
- Credit reports by 3 agencies

You should also ask for inside leg measurement.

When I get these scam calls (about 3 each week), they are usually claiming my router is infected. What I do is put on a cod-Indian accent: "Are you telling me I am having a wirus on my Vindows computer?" etc., and, after as much mucking about as I can be bothered with (pretending to be deaf, asking them to wait while I go upstairs etc) I ask them for the IP address of my router. That's when they hang up.

 

[ManSinha]

You should also ask for inside leg measurement.

When I get these scam calls (about 3 each week), they are usually claiming my router is infected. What I do is put on a cod-Indian accent: "Are you telling me I am having a wirus on my Vindows computer?" etc., and, after as much mucking about as I can be bothered with (pretending to be deaf, asking them to wait while I go upstairs etc) I ask them for the IP address of my router. That's when they hang up.

Hey - what is the problem with an indian accent? Would that be east asian indian or native american? and then is it comanche or navajo or sioux?

 

[Stevicus]

When I get such requests for info, our office procedures require that we get the caller's....
- Home address
- Bank account & routing numbers
- Full name
- Social Security number
- Mother's maiden name
- Employment history
- Residence history
- Home & cel phone numbers
- High school & college transcripts
- Shoe size
- Credit reports by 3 agencies

Federal and state laws prohibit anyone from revealing their shoe size except to a licensed podiatrist or a shoe salesman.

 

[exchemist]

Hey - what is the problem with an indian accent? Would that be east asian indian or native american? and then is it comanche or navajo or sioux?

The scammers nearly always have an Indian accent, because they are generally calling from India. I can do a passable pastiche accent (from my years in Dubai) and winding them up a bit is what they deserve. Though I have had some scam calls from the Philippines - generally women who can become quite entertainingly abusive (swearing at me etc) when they realise I've been stringing them along to waste their time.

 

[sun rise]

I get spammy phone calls from someone who I think is speaking Mandarin. I would not know as I don't speak that heathen tongue.

 

[Skwim]

The scammers nearly always have an Indian accent, because they are generally calling from India. I can do a passable pastiche accent (from my years in Dubai) and winding them up a bit is what they deserve. Though I have had some scam calls from the Philippines - generally women who can become quite entertainingly abusive (swearing at me etc) when they realise I've been stringing them along to waste their time.

About a year or so ago I had a Indian guy who was trying to help me with a minor computer problem I was having (don't remember what it was, but it was apparent he was the source of it) who I strung along for quite awhile. Toward the very end of his scam I refused to work with him any longer and hung up. Less than a minute later he called me to let me know I was a no good son of a *****. It made my day.

.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

The scammers nearly always have an Indian accent, because they are generally calling from India. I can do a passable pastiche accent (from my years in Dubai) and winding them up a bit is what they deserve. Though I have had some scam calls from the Philippines - generally women who can become quite entertainingly abusive (swearing at me etc) when they realise I've been stringing them along to waste their time.

There are so many interesting accents to use in response to these. I have fallen back on exaggerated Jamaican, New York and even one from my own Ozark upbringing. I once stopped in the middle of a conversation exclaiming "Oh my God" and when the person asked me what happened, I told them I would have to call them back, my grandfather had just backed over some of the neighbor kids and I had to go.

 

[Revoltingest]

You should also ask for inside leg measurement.

Yes, I forgot to put "inseam" in the list.
"Bra cup size" & "Circumcision status"k too.

 

[esmith]

I'm sure the scammers are working overtime to take advantage of the Notra Dame catastrophe. Stand-by for request for contributions.

 

[Vinayaka]

Please take me off your list.

 

[Subduction Zone]

About a year or so ago I had a Indian guy who was trying to help me with a minor computer problem I was having (don't remember what it was, but it was apparent he was the source of it) who I strung along for quite awhile. Toward the very end of his scam I refused to work with him any longer and hung up. Less than a minute later he called me to let me know I was a no good son of a *****. It made my day.

.

If I have the time I will engage with scam artists as long as I can. If more people did this they could not make their scams due to all of the time taken up by people spamming the scammers.

 

[Shad]

I just received a call from a person purporting to be from the technical department of Direct TV, who started out by having me check my TV reception because DTV was redirecting its satellite signal tomorrow and I might need a free upgrade for my receivers. And . . . . . because I'm such a "good costumer" he then offered to permanently reduce my monthly bill by $35 if I paid a one time fee of $149. Not a bad deal at all, until he said he needed my credit/debit card number to complete the transaction. I told him, I didn't call him, he called me, so he should have that information on hand, and that I would wait until he got it and read it back to me. After hemming and hawing he said he wasn't privy to such information, and handed me over to his supervisor, who only barely spoke better English. He told me that for security reasons he couldn't give out such information over the phone, but could put me back in touch with the technical department, to which I said "and what is he going to tell me that you can't?" His reply was just more tap dancing, at which time I hung up and called DTV Customer Services who told me they had no such discount program going on, and knew nothing about DTV redirecting its signal.

.

A few companies up here require customers to call support numbers for any resolution to an issue not the service calling the customer. The call to the customer is only to communicate a problem, nothing more. For example my ISP had an issue with online billing. The rep told me the bill couldn't validate my CC information (their system didn't like CCs with middle name initials.) I was told to call the number on my bill or look it up in the phone book. The policy was made to avoid such scams as even caller ID is not reliable as scams can get national numbers via a proxy.

In general any such calls should be cut off by the customer telling the "rep" they will call the service back in a few minutes. A real rep wouldn't care about such an action.

 

[Shad]

You should also ask for inside leg measurement.

When I get these scam calls (about 3 each week), they are usually claiming my router is infected. What I do is put on a cod-Indian accent: "Are you telling me I am having a wirus on my Vindows computer?" etc., and, after as much mucking about as I can be bothered with (pretending to be deaf, asking them to wait while I go upstairs etc) I ask them for the IP address of my router. That's when they hang up.

Tree, tree, tree, tree. It's three damn it!

 

[Shad]

I'm sure the scammers are working overtime to take advantage of the Notra Dame catastrophe. Stand-by for request for contributions.

Stay off Go-Fundme for the time being.

 

[esmith]

Stay off Go-Fundme for the time being.

yep

 

[dianaiad]

You should also ask for inside leg measurement.

When I get these scam calls (about 3 each week), they are usually claiming my router is infected. What I do is put on a cod-Indian accent: "Are you telling me I am having a wirus on my Vindows computer?" etc., and, after as much mucking about as I can be bothered with (pretending to be deaf, asking them to wait while I go upstairs etc) I ask them for the IP address of my router. That's when they hang up.

You only get three a week?

I'm jealous.

 

[Thief]

When I get such requests for info, our office procedures require that we get the caller's....
- Home address
- Bank account & routing numbers
- Full name
- Social Security number
- Mother's maiden name
- Employment history
- Residence history
- Home & cel phone numbers
- High school & college transcripts
- Shoe size
- Credit reports by 3 agencies

you left out.....blood type

 

[Thief]

and surgical history