Free $200 gas card.... with a $2 charge on your Credit/debit card
Complaint
Jason
Country: United States
I received a text from a random number(44264) stating "Official reward Notice: Call 8002520704 now to claim $200 in Gas plus $20 Gift Card! Keep Music text alert account active.txt fs stop 2 end.
Upon inquiry to the listed number, The "Arizona based" company's Female representative had an Middle Eastern/ Indian accent. Reassuring me i had won a gas card, and that i need only give my CC number for a $2 donation. Immediate scam notification. Especially when she started describing what i had won.
Being cynical by nature, i played along trying to keep her online to gather as much information as possible. If someone in the telecommunications legal enforcement can use I hope it helps. Please bear in mind, acting stupid usually gets you more information from a frustrated person.
Distinct noises in the back ground: different dialects from others working nearby, some speaking what sounded like mandarin/Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, or possibly another similar sounding middle eastern dialect.
Person was very rehearsed in the information that she provided. The same information was consistently provided, even when i was asking "dumb" questions. i.e. can i use my gas card at all gas stations? is there a fee when i use the card? What affiliates does you company have that i was registered to win this? (response: We do not have any affiliates that provided your information to our company.) How did you get my number then? is this a 3rd party company that i had signed up to receive offers with? Like with Microsoft, toys r us, like one of those...? (response: No we have no associates that provide information to us. A different department that contacted you gets your information. We just call you.)
By this point she had stated the number that i was calling from (twice) and asked if that was correct, as well as asked for my name, first and last. I had given a first name, but interrupted shortly after that with how lucky i was to had won this, it would help pay for my travels. Again she asked for my last name. By this time, i had pulled up several pages on the internet concerning the number i was calling, the company name she had provided, the text number that had initially sent the text. My wife who had been standing next to me was taking notes as the conversation progressed, told me to end the conversation.
My next question was if they were recognized by the Better Business Bureau. Her response was that they were not, and that she needed my credit card number in order for me to receive my gas card. At this time, i told her I can understand why. and proceeded to inform her that i was looking at over 100 complaints about their company being a scam. And that a small $2 charge adds up quick when their company withdraws a bank account. She insisted that they were not a scam, and she doesn't know where i am getting my information from, but i was wrong. I started to tell her the website i was looking at, and where she could verify the information. And that the numbers (listed above) were all reported as scams by multitudes of people. Before I finished the sentence she hung up.
I hope that this information helps someone, and prevents these scamming scums from ruining someones life.
Upon inquiry to the listed number, The "Arizona based" company's Female representative had an Middle Eastern/ Indian accent. Reassuring me i had won a gas card, and that i need only give my CC number for a $2 donation. Immediate scam notification. Especially when she started describing what i had won.
Being cynical by nature, i played along trying to keep her online to gather as much information as possible. If someone in the telecommunications legal enforcement can use I hope it helps. Please bear in mind, acting stupid usually gets you more information from a frustrated person.
Distinct noises in the back ground: different dialects from others working nearby, some speaking what sounded like mandarin/Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, or possibly another similar sounding middle eastern dialect.
Person was very rehearsed in the information that she provided. The same information was consistently provided, even when i was asking "dumb" questions. i.e. can i use my gas card at all gas stations? is there a fee when i use the card? What affiliates does you company have that i was registered to win this? (response: We do not have any affiliates that provided your information to our company.) How did you get my number then? is this a 3rd party company that i had signed up to receive offers with? Like with Microsoft, toys r us, like one of those...? (response: No we have no associates that provide information to us. A different department that contacted you gets your information. We just call you.)
By this point she had stated the number that i was calling from (twice) and asked if that was correct, as well as asked for my name, first and last. I had given a first name, but interrupted shortly after that with how lucky i was to had won this, it would help pay for my travels. Again she asked for my last name. By this time, i had pulled up several pages on the internet concerning the number i was calling, the company name she had provided, the text number that had initially sent the text. My wife who had been standing next to me was taking notes as the conversation progressed, told me to end the conversation.
My next question was if they were recognized by the Better Business Bureau. Her response was that they were not, and that she needed my credit card number in order for me to receive my gas card. At this time, i told her I can understand why. and proceeded to inform her that i was looking at over 100 complaints about their company being a scam. And that a small $2 charge adds up quick when their company withdraws a bank account. She insisted that they were not a scam, and she doesn't know where i am getting my information from, but i was wrong. I started to tell her the website i was looking at, and where she could verify the information. And that the numbers (listed above) were all reported as scams by multitudes of people. Before I finished the sentence she hung up.
I hope that this information helps someone, and prevents these scamming scums from ruining someones life.
Comments
https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/3SaAY_Zr2wCE8wjNE1vlVA
He gave me a description of the package I would be receiving: a basket of samples, along with my esteemed $200 gas card. All I had to do was give him my credit card number for the $2 shipping fee. "And not a single penny over the two dollar" as he stated at least six times.
Seemed easy enough, but when he asked if I had any questions, I unleashed.
"What is the name of your company?"
"Odyssey Travels."
(Immediately, I ran to my computer and pulled up their website. The Florida-based company clearly stated that they did not do any phone solicitations and if you are contacted for any special offers, NOT to give out any personal information.)
"Can I use my gas card at a Holiday gas station? I really like their gas. And everyone who works there is so nice."
"Ma'am you can use it anywhere, Wal-mart, Conoco-"
"I won't go to Wal-mart."
"Yes, you can use it at Wal-mart."
"Who signed me up for this?"
"No one, we are doing a national gift-from-God."
(omg, now they are slapping the Lord's name on their scam.)
"I don't believe in God. Do I still get the gas card?"
"Yes ma'am, I need your sixteen-digit card number. It starts with four..."
"Where are you calling me from?"
"Uhh, Texas. Dallas in Texas."
"But the Odyssey Travel website says you are located in Florida, and that you do not participate in any phone solicitations or special offers."
"Ma'am I assure you, you have my promise and my word that we are not a scam. There are scams all over right?"
"Right, currently in Texas."
"We are offering this gift and I can give you a confirmation number that you can use to prosecute us if anything more than the two dollars is taken out."
"So there is a possibility of more than two dollars being withdrawn?"
"No ma'am, absolutely not."
"What is your name?
"Santiana, and I will give you all of my information to assure you we are not a scam."
(wtf?)
He then went on to ask if I had heard of the "Best Business Bureau" and I said no, but I have heard of the Better Business Bureau. I also told him that I must inform him that he was not in fact working for Odyssey Travel, and I would not be giving him my card number.
He said, "Ma'am, I do not need any personal information. You have to give verbal authorization in order for-"
"My credit card number is kind of personal information." 'click'
I then called the REAL Odyssey Travel and notified the lady that answered that there was a scammer using their name. She was mortified. She wanted me to talk to her manager, but he apparently was not in, and they will be calling me back for more information.
I am so happy that I am educated not to give out my credit card number, and I feel so so sorry for the person whose bank account they DO get their hands on.
Note how "authoritative" they sound, knowing your CC number "starts with 4". Sounding "authoritative" makes you sound "legitimate".
What are the odds? ANY VISA card number starts with "4"!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bank_Identification_Numbers
"Uhh, Texas. Dallas in Texas."
Sometimes they claim they are calling from "Arizona".
"We are offering this gift and I can give you a confirmation number that you can use to prosecute us if anything more than the two dollars is taken out."
Lot of good that does when they are really in India.
"Best Business Bureau"
They are better that the "Better Business Bureau".
The question remains: Regardless of their "shocked" response, how do you know when you called the supposedly Florida-based company, that you weren't dealing with the same people?
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-406-290-3169