Monday, March 22, 2010

Scam Alert!


I keep getting robo calls from someone saying that I can lower my credit card rate and to do so just press #9 on my keypad. I have received five or six of these calls over the last couple of weeks and thought they were from my own credit card company. I'd hang up though and thought about calling my card's 800 number to check out the deal. So glad I never pressed #9. because over the weekend I discovered what happens when you do. I'm a big fan of Clark Howard. For those of you who don't know of him he's a young fellow who's made a life studying money. He made his first million before he was 30 and we're not talking about some get rich quick scheme. He really does seem to know where all the best deals are and what scams to look out for.

To make a short story long a woman called him saying that she did indeed press #9 and the man on the other end got her to give out her current account number, her mothers maiden name and her social security number. I was surprised Clark didn't hit his scam alert button when he heard this. When he does this warning buzzers and flashing lights go off. At any rate he told her to call her credit card company and put a freeze on the card and have a credit watch put on through the credit agencies. As for myself I would have canceled the card and had them reissue a new card.

2 comments:

Tom Harper said...

Are you sure that's a scam? It sounded legitimate to me when they called. I pressed 9, then gave them my Social Security number, mother's maiden name and several bank account numbers. Then they told me I had won a certain amount of money (I forget how much, I was so excited) and that my check was in the mail.

I can't wait 'til the check arrives so I can see how much I won.

Demeur said...

They did Tom? Then I'll have to introduce you to my Nigerian friend.