In the past I received a phone call, I presume a telemarketing telephone request, on my house telephone number that I knew I had to disclose with my readers at Lucrative Investing. It was beyond a doubt the most hilarious phone call I have received in a lengthy time, and unquestionably something worth giving out for the amusement value and the example it provides. The telephone call came up on the caller ID as ?Home Area? and the digits 1-850-390-4590. When I answered the call, a recording said something close to, “Hello, this is a call from Card Services concerning your current credit card account. We are pleased to inform you that you are entitled for lower interest rates since you have made all your payments in good time and have shown trustworthy use of your credit. To query further concerning lower interest rates on your open credit card, press “1″.”
I was curious and a little bored, so I pushed “1″ and a gentleman came immediately to the handset. This is the discussion from that phone talk, with “Telemarketer” being the guy on the other end that represents “Card Services”, and “MB” being myself:
Telemarketer: Hi!
MB: Hello.
Telemarketer: Are you responding to the suggestion for reduced interest rates?
MB: I suppose.
Telemarketer: Well, you are qualified for cut interest rates on an open credit card.
MB: What card?
Telemarketer: Your qualifying Visa or Mastercard.
MB: Okay, well, this call could be for anyone in the house. Who is this call for?
Telemarketer: The chief credit card possessor, and you pushed “1″, so I would imagine that`s you.
MB: Well, we have four credit card owners in this home. If you would prefer to present me a name, I can surely?.
Telemarketer: [Click]
MB: Hello? [Entertainingly, having heard the click] Helloooooooo?.
He did not have a clue who that call was for or what card he was offering me a lower rate on. No one even is aware if whatever assembly or business he is employed with is respectable. I thought it was amusing that they used the title “Card Services”, thinking about some respectable corporations that you may really do business with make use of that at which time they phone up, because that is the title of the section that is calling you. At what time Chase, who I previously had a card with, called me, they time and again said they were from “Card Services”, so I thought it was probable Chase was calling me, even if I sincerely doubted it as I no longer possess that card. When someone says they are with “Card Services”, do not assume it is a shifty call, but do press them to find out what company they are with.
Remember that they called your phone, concerning your alleged credit card, and may ask for your information. Do not assume they are on the level and do not assume that they already know anything about you. Nicely require that they give you some more information about who the call is for, what card this is concerning, or something else before going any further. I will never know if that was a potential scam or not, but I do recognize that they had no right calling me, particularly since we are on the “Do Not Call Registry”, that has long since established that it means nil.
Be intelligent, be aware, and be conscious of the fact that there are thousands, if not millions, of companies and people out there who want your money, and especially your social security number. They are calling you daily and one fallacious move could compromise your fiscal security, either in a minute way or a large way. They may have been valid, but they might have been a scam, just hoping I would give up the information they were looking for. Either way, they had no business calling me with an assumed guise the way they did, and I suggest that all of my readers be careful when a call like that comes in.
