SCAM ACCOUNT SERVICES

[TLRMADE]

So for id say the past 5-6mos I've been getting these scam calls about lowering my interest rate. Every time I tell them I will report them or I'm on the do not call registry they hang up. So today I played along and got a name! Account Services was what they gave me. I then googled it and found this website about the scam.

http://bohemianrevolution.com/scam-alert-account-services-wants-to-lower-your-interest-rate/

It says that they called from a blocked number. When they called me today the number showed up! When I call the number back it says I have reached the do not call registry? I think they have created their own fake do not call registry!!?

(503) 902-8259

Salem, OR

Should I report it to the police dept or my phone service and explain that I have their number? Or is it a waste of time?

Edited November 30, 2011 by TLRMADE

[Magiccarpetrides]

forward their info to the FBI, they handle stuff that goes across state lines, local pd won't do sh*t.

[Reservoir Dog]

Telephone fraud scams should be reported to the FTC: Phone Call Scams | Recognize & Report Telemarketing Fraud | Who's Calling?

[Jonnin]

I am not sure its a violation to fake the caller ID signal. Most phone spammers do, actually, whether they have unknown name or fill it in with something like "texas". I get calls from citys or states all the time due to that. Putting a fake or wrong number in there is just as easy, less common but I still think its not a violation. Those are as easy to scam as email return addresses, and no one does anything about it. Definately report it, but don't expect much to come of it.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Those kind of calls I've gotten so used to that I quit answering , a long time ago.

Reporting them to the do not call whatever won't get rid of them. If it looks bogus

on the caller ID I don't waste my time. My telephone is for work and people who don't

block their ID's.

If you answer one call like that, you're sure to get fifty more.

[MacGyver]

While it doesn't hurt to report them, there's not going to be much that law enforcement is either willing or able to do about it. Especially since you didn't actually suffer any loss.

We do have some dirty tricks in our forensic book to use against them, though. Download the Special Information Tone indicating that a number is "out of service". Play it at the beginning of your answering machine message or voicemail followed by your regular message. Any human on the line will think it's odd, but go ahead and leave a message once they hear your message. An autodialer, however will think it has screwed up and dialed an out of service number. It will drop your number from its database, and when it updates, mark your number as out of service thus removing it from everyone else's database, too. Their greed works against them. Since calling your number, whether anyone answers or not costs them a few cents, they want to minimize their loss to bad data.

Leave it on there for about a month or so, and you'll find that you don't get solicitations of any type anymore.

Remove yourself from the Matrix, so to speak.

[Guest GunTroll]

I know the call/company. Been happening for 12 months or so now. I usually speak to who ever is soliciting me (this one and others). But I attempt to have fun with them. I re-solicit them for gunsmith services. Every question they ask me I ignore and go right into asking them some really random gun stuff like dimensions of bolt faces or whatever. Probably not smart of me but if you waste my time, I will waste yours. If they get aggravated, I win. If I get aggravated, they win.

[Raoul]

Those kind of calls I've gotten so used to that I quit answering , a long time ago.

Reporting them to the do not call whatever won't get rid of them. If it looks bogus

on the caller ID I don't waste my time. My telephone is for work and people who don't

block their ID's.

If you answer one call like that, you're sure to get fifty more.

This. Just ignore them. It's all you can do.

[laktrash]

You can always discuss their relatives and livestock (camels seems to work well ) with them

Edited December 1, 2011 by laktrash

[analog_kidd]

Arrgh. I got a couple of calls from the same area code today. I called it back and got the "We'll add your number to our do not call registry" message. I hope I dindn't get added to the "We got a live one" database instead.

I like MacGyver's tip for the tone at the beginning of the message. I'll definitely give that a try.

As far as faking a caller ID, it's legal, common and easy. Google Voice uses it to display the GV number when you place a call from your cell or landline using it. There are a ton of websites that allow you to do it for free. Just Google "Caller ID Spoofing" and you'll see a bunch of pages. Most of them have a field to put your number, the number you want to call and what you want the caller ID displayed as. Once you hit go, your phone will ring, when you answer it, the call is placed on your behalf and uses the fake caller ID.

[Guest GunTroll]

Not sure some should know any of that ^ . Maybe myself included .