MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Scammers are everywhere, and as inflation rises and gas prices continue to be costly, certain everyday items are also more expensive.
Scammers realize this and are picking up on it. Better Business Bureau Public Relations Director Daniel Irwin said people are expected to get lots of scam calls that people should be aware of.
For those of you who have DirecTV or who are considering getting it, be on the lookout. These scammers are smart,and if you are not super careful, you can find yourself moneyless.
Irwin warned that if you get a call that sounds like it is from one of these big companies trying to give you a deal on DirecTV service, do not fall for it.
They may say something along the lines of, “Hi there, I’m calling you from AT&T DirecTV to let you know that your existing account is qualified for 50% off. In order to unveil the discounts, call us back at 888-207-6632 from 8 am to 5 pm PST. Thank you and have a great day.”
These scammers make money when they scam yours because they are professional thieves, and it is a crime.
Irwin said this scam seems so realistic because it sounds like an official representative from DirecTV, AT&T, and other corporate companies are calling, but don’t be fooled.
“What you’re going to see in the summer is big-name companies being impersonated on a regular basis pitching some type of discount to loyal customers because of inflation,” Irwin said. “When you hear those words, those should be red flags. If you get a phone call or a text and it’s talking about because of inflation, those are keywords.”
Irwin explained that it can be much easier for scammers to run games on people because today's impersonators use real voices instead of machines or foreign speakers to call.
“They’re going to do everything they can to make you think that they work for DirecTV. They may even go as far as to give you a phony account, badge number, or employee I.D. number,” Irwin said. “As you’re talking to them, they’re going to be asking questions. Not only do they want your $600 but they also want to verify your account information.”
Somewhere along the lines, they will continue to try to verify your personal details until they can get as much of it as possible, including your social security number…only to use it to sell it to other scammers, Irwin said.
“If you get one of these calls promising a promotion, don’t agree to anything over the phone. Even if you think it’s legitimate or something you’re interested in, hang up the phone and call a number on the back of your bill or a number that you’ve obtained independently,” Irwin said.
He also recommended that you get any promotion in writing to make sure that it is real. And the biggest red flag for any scam is when they ask for payments in gift cards.
“Remember, gift cards are gifts and not for payments,” Irwin explained.
The reason why they ask for payments in gift cards, is because once you read the numbers on the card, that money is gone instantly. It does not need any time to process.
Lastly, absolutely never give out your personal information over the phone to someone who calls you out of nowhere.
