Community Newsletter: Q&A forum: Are they phishing over the telephone now?!

Judie;

About a 2 years ago I got one of those calls from someone claiming to be from "Cardholder Services". I thought that they were a division of the bank that issued my business credit card because they knew some of my card information. (Apparently the credit rating services sell information about us on the open market.) They told me that they would reduce my credit card interest rate.

I gave them my information before I thought to check it out with the customer service people of my bank. My bank told me that the people I'd been talking to were not associated with the bank in any way advised me that I was being scammed.

I cancelled that credit card number and got another one. Now whenever anyone like that calls me I hang up without listening. I'd advise you to do the same. Whatever you do don't give them any information.

My gosh, no one reads the other posts, do they?

The "Do Not Call" is NOT MANDITORY. If your number comes up (as it will), I can still call it. If anyone questions me, I just use my charitable exclusion or say you called me first...none can prove otherwise that is if you can find me in Nigeria or Alaska.

Read the full stick on the previously given FBI info site --everything is there for you guys to soak up.

AND, you are correct (sort of): The FCC does accept public inquiries BUT none of the regionaly appointed District US Attorneys will touch anything without overwhelming evidence and real proof of heavy scamming of dollars (like into the tens of thousands accumulative).

So read the earlier posts and go from there, Pat.

PS: What does a "hikergirl" do ---just hike? But to where?

I have had a call so has a friend and my brother I hung up my brother said he'd talk to his bank and my friend fallowed throw and was told he didn't aply for the offer but has had my calles since and now hangs up.

Dear Judie,

Nowadays, increasing amount of automation means less people are doing more work, and one of the areas being handled is customer relations, such as the calls you've been getting. I have been getting quite a few of those too.

Basically, the computer is automatically dialing the numbers, and automatically sorting out the busy calls, the invalid numbers, and whatnot. It only transfer the call to someone live when it detects someone on the line. Else it leaves a standard generic message, designed to be as vague as possible, as they can't be sure that the message will only be heard by the intended recipient, and they want to make sure no privacy is violated or important info exposed.

When the computer *do* detect someone picking up the phone and say "hello?" or the equivalent, you get the "Please hold for a customer representative with an important message from ____". Then that representative, as s/he pick up the call, would have your information on his/her computer screen, ready to do business.

I have received such messages from the two banks I do business with, so I am not too surprised to get them.

If you are really concerned, or just very prudent, do the following:

* ask them for the employee ID and/or full name for the record, and a callback number. They should provide that readily.
* tell whoever called you that you do not answer unsolicited calls with personal information, thus, you will call the customer service number at your leisure in the next 15 minutes or so.
* if they hem and haw about you have limited time, they may still be legit, as they are usually just reading from a telemarketing script. In that case, you can either hang up, or ask to speak to a supervisor, and tell him the same thing.
* check the callback number, probably a toll-free number, on Search.com or equivalent Internet search engine. It should come up as a valid customer service number for the correct company.
* call the customer service number of the organization (if it's card related, it'd be on back of card) and confirm that someone DID call you regarding a certain issue (all contacts should be logged in their computer)
* you can also let them know what is your preferred method of contact in case they do need to reach you for something, and not to bother you with sales calls or survey calls.

It may be rude, but in a world of ID theft prevalence, it's better to be vigilant. Remember, you are their customer, so they are supposed to make YOU happy, not to increase your anxiety. Be safe out there.

--KC, San Francisco, CA

I get these calls and recordings constantly. I've tried blocking their number, but they just call from another number. They give you an option to press to be removed from their call list. Then they just call MORE OFTEN. I've spoken to a person, and asked to be removed. No luck. It's totally a scam, because they don't actually know if you have any credit card at all. They're just guessing. They even said the offer is actually from my bank, but couldn't tell me what bank that would be.

Judie,

Your concerns about those recent phone calls are valid. There is a lot of this going on these days in addition to all the phishing attempts on-line, though the on-line activity is more prevalent.

Hanging up on callers such as those you described ends the immediate threat, but it doesn't stop the calls from coming.

If you haven't registered your phone numbers with the Federal Trade Commission's National Do Not Call Registry, I would recommend it. You can find the number on their web site at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/donotcall/

Telemarketers are not to call numbers registered on this list. That's the good news. The bad news is that random dialers, which is what I'd guess those phishing by phone are, aren't covered by this list.

In general, if your bank wants to contact you, they will do so by U.S. mail. If a caller is convincing enough so that you feel compelled to check out a supposed problem with your credit card, DO NOT give them any information. Ask for the person's name, then tell them that you will call them right back. Use a telephone number that YOU know will reach your bank, DO NOT use a phone number given by the caller (but do write it down), it will not be your bank. When you do speak with your bank, ask for the person whose name you got earlier. If you're told there is nobody by that name working there, ask to speak with their fraud investigation department and inform them as to what happened to you. You control the situation. DO NOT, under any circumstances give personal information of any type to anyone over the phone or Internet.

If you continue to get calls from any one in particular, log the date and time of the call and any other information you can get, then notify your local police department. I'm not familiar with other areas, but in California annoying phone calls such as this are in violation of Penal Code section 653(m). Just as an FYI, phishing is also covered under the Business and Processions Code Sections 22948, but is specific to the Internet, not phone calls.

That phone number given to you by the caller can be used by the police. If they were willing to give you a number, it just might be they'll answer pretending to be your bank. I worked a case several years ago, where a young lady was receiving annoying phone calls and told the caller to stop. The calls kept coming, but she had the number. I surprized the guy by showing up at his front door in full uniform.

You did the right thing. Everyone... be vigilant and use common sense.

I've been getting calls with a recording saying "This call is for <pause> Jane Doe. If this is <pause> Jane Doe, please press one." Since I wasn't born yesterday, I don't press one and hang up immediately, but wonder what would happen if I did press one.

I found this site that is a common database of known (and unknown) phone numbers of telemarketers. If you happen to get a new one on your caller ID, you can enter it and help out those countless thousands of people inundated by these idiots.
http://800notes.com/

Also, if they continue to harass (or even if it's just once), you can visit the National DoNotCall registry and report them online.
https://donotcall.gov/complaint/complaintcheck.aspx

I'm fairly certain that they're phishing using snail mail. I've received color brochures (2) in the mail, advising me to go to various websites, to sign up for "free" or "new" features and the website address that the brochure provides is of course subtly wrong. Then there's the classic "survey" attempt at social engineering where you can receive a "free" iphone/ipod/gift card/cash prize if you'll just provide the survey site with information you really don't want a stranger to have.

I find it incredibly annoying when people give stupid new names to things which have been around for decades. "Vishing"? Please.

I have had phone messages asking me to logon to a (phony-look-like) bank site because my account had been compromised. Using whois I checked the registration info which indicated it was not legitimate. I e-mailed the registrar about the fraud, and saw it was gone the following day. One bad guy down, zillions to go.

However, just recently I received a message from someone claiming to be from my Credit Card company's fraud department regarding some activity on my account. I have gotten similar calls in the past when I've charged high, electronic items and usually knew right away what it was about since the call would be on my machine when I'd get home after shopping.

This time, I couldn't figure out why they'd be calling, but the call contained some information which led me to believe it was legit. I checked the number they left and it seemed to tie to the credit card company. But, I still was reluctant to call the number they left, so I did the safe thing--I called the number on the back of my credit card. After I put in my A/C number, I was immediately connected to the fraud department. They verified who I was by asking me questions I was even surprised they knew the answers to, but afterward, they asked me if I had made an internet purchase from a company whose name I did not recognize. I said I didn't think so, but sometimes names on the CC differ from the name of the website. They told me it was for a purchase that day. I knew then that I hadn't made the purchase. They said that's what they thought and that since my CC number had been compromised, they needed to close the account and issue me a new card.

The whole thing was a slight inconvenience (I need to notify companies who charge that card for monthly services), but it would have been worse if I were out of town without my CC.

So, given my experience, if you get a call from someone claiming to be your bank, credit card company, mortgage co, etc. go ahead and call them back if you think it might be legitimate, but only call the numbers you know to be legitimate as listed on the back of the cc or on their statements. Also, I would NEVER respond to an e-mail regarding my bank or CC company. I would only go directly to the site by typing their name in the browser (not clicking any links) and login to their site from their.

By the way, I got my new card in a few days followed by a snail mail with information to logon to my account to review that my information was correct.

Hi Judie,

Oh yes, there are many who are phishing on the telephone. We get about six phone calls a week from people who are outright trying their best to get our private information. The caller says they are security from our local bank or our local stores and that they have server errors and need us to update our information that has been lost.

After one called my elderly father and told him that they were a law firm (the phishers used a real law office's name but not their real phone number) trying to collect $3,000 owed on a JC Penney credit card. These phishers even had a "secretary" who would put my father "on hold to speak directly with the lawyer". My parents have not used a credit card in over 15 years, so I told my father to let me call JC Penney ourselves and let me find out if someone had stolen his identity. Penney's informed my father that they have no account for him and that he owed nothing. I called the police to report the phone number and they informed me that they believe that these phishers are using computers to relay the calls from overseas and these people are destroying the credit of thousands of people everyday. Our phone phishers caller ID usually show up with a Florida phone number, but when you try to find out who they are through the phone company, they have no record of the phone number at all.

I have gotten the phone calls that you are discussing over a hundred times and every time the caller id shows up with a different phone number. I get the same messages that you are talking about on my voice mail. I use "select caller block" to block the phone number, but they keep calling back with another fake phone number. I have reported it to the local phone company and they say there is nothing they can do to stop them. I am extremely frustrated with the phone company and with the Do Not Call registry. I even re-signed up and I still get calls from telemarketers almost every day. Just how can anyone prosecute the caller if they are using a computer to call from overseas? So I do the next best thing and just call screen through caller ID, the phishers and telemarketers get sent to voice mail and then I block the phone number they used to call me.

Also, I got a new phisher today, claiming they were from Blue Cross/Blue Shield and needed my social security number because they had "a server error." I do not have Blue Cross/Blue Shield so I knew exactly what to do...hang up and block that number.

Recently, I had a phisher call me and claim to be from a local hospital and that my son had been hurt at school and they needed my information or the doctors could not help him. Luckily, my son was home with me that day or I might have fallen for that one. Just thought you all might want to know that these people are truly ruthless.

Remember to keep your identity safe: never click a link in an email unless it is from someone you know. Turn on your "check phishing" in your browser and never enter information until the check is complete. Never give out any information over the phone and do not respond to offers in the mail unless you are comfortable with the company. And never return a call unless you are certain it is a company that you do business with.

These phishers are always vague and will never say exactly what company they are with. A company, website, store, insurance company or bank that you do business with will have all of your vital information and they will never ask you to give them account numbers, social security numbers or passwords. Good luck everybody!

Yes. You could call it that. It's the new innovative way of telemarketing. This way they don't have to worry about being hung up on and will only come on the line if you say yes to their questions OR if you call them back.
BUT there is a WONDERFUL way to get this stopped. Here is the link to the government website that helps you put an end to these "phishing" calls. It's the National Do Not Call Registry and it is free. Don't go paying for this service with some other hoakey provider. This service is free. Once you register it takes 30 days to get it going but from then on if you get calls from ANY telemarketing at all just make sure you write down their phone number and if possible the name of the company, go back to the Do Not Call website and report them. They sure wont call you again after that. It's worked like a charm for me so far. Of course I am sure some calls will get through and if they are a live person I actually let them know I am registered and the immediately apologize and remove me from their calling list.
Good luck all!

Here's that link:

https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx

We actually had two serious vishing attempts and a visit from a federal agent. We do not know if these events were linked or coincidental. .

First: We moved to a new state and got a new landline phone number. The day our new phone service activated, we started receiving alarming recorded voice messages to call back about serious financial problems. Mostly, the caller ID showed "NCO financial services". The calls came from too many numbers and area codes to block the numbers, and the erratic times and nasty messages had us chasing our tails.

Response: We did not call back to tell them to stop because the bad guys could get our names from our outgoing caller id. They could get a name-to-number verification; and we had no idea if some of the numbers could have been $1000 a minute off-shore scams!

We decided to stop reacting and try to take back the initiative. We called our phone company and changed our number to an un-listed, non-published number; cost was about $5. When we alerted our bank, they explained that reputable financial institutions always identify themselves when contacting account holders. We also put our new number on the do not call registry.

Next problem, I started getting vishing calls on my cell phone. Fortunately, the recording provided an option to speak to a human being. He literally screamed at me and demanded to know who I was and if I had any debt. Nicely, I asked for his name and the company he was working for. Then I told him that my cell number was already on the do-not-call list, that he had no right to any of my information, and I would report his name and number to the Justice Dept if he or his company called me again.

The cell number and new landline number were in different area codes, and I have no proof that the incidents were linked. All this in the middle of underwriting our new mortgage!

Just when we thought we had a handle on the vishing attempts, we had a personal visit from a federal agent. He told us my name and SSN might have been compromised because they discovered it on a seized laptop found during a raid on a drug house.

He warned us that the new currency is information and the meth dealers can easily sell our info - with possibly less effort than robberies etc. He said we should monitor our credit, shred anything with our name on it, always ID anyone asking for our info, and get a locking mailbox.

FYI, according to this Federal Agent, meth is highly addictive and is being cooked in almost every neighborhood. The meth users tend to be violent and often make explosive mistakes when they are cooking up their concoctions. It smells awful: something like cat urine and ammonia. When it explodes, it tends to be catastrophic. Do not assume your sub-division is free of this menace. Be safe.

In Canada, mostly from Quebec, they set up a small call center, make as many calls as they can before they get shut down; move to another building, set up a call center and so on, mostly preying on senior citizens, but now, with voip, they can "reach out" and touch the world. If it sounds phishy, it probably smells that way , too!