I won a gift gas card by sometimes using my credit/debit card and they wanted to know what type of card it was?!

ComplaintsAutomotiveAmerican Auto Benefits

Complaint

0
Mrs. P. Hall
Country: United States
I just received a called today @ work around 8:54 a.m. (10/11/10) regarding I qualified for a free $200 gas card and also will receive coupons for discounts on minor work for things to be done on my car but these coupons that I get all I have to do is pay a $1 charge for each (not sure how many coupons I was getting).  So I ask them how did they get my name and my address (they said from a company in Michigan but they would not tell me what company, they deal w/a lot of companies out of michigan and many other states.  So when the person asked me what type of credit card I had (because that is how I qualified for this $200 gas card, because sometimes I used a credit/debit card) I was really not comfortable w/this call and I said to him is 'if I won this gas card by using my credit/debit card sometimes at the gas station you should know what type of card it is"  He claims that the company didn't share that information they just gave them my name and address (which was the correct address) so I told them I don't like giving information over the phone and that I was not interested in this and then they kept asking me why and I told them the same thing about three times before I just hung up the phone on them.  

The first person I spoke w/said he was calling from American Auto Benefits and his name was Ben Thomas then he gave me his I.D. number which was #91983 and then I spoke w/his supervisor because I told him I wasn't giving him what type of card info I used and his supervisors name was Mary Johnson.  Both of these people had a very very strong accent that was arabic, and those names they gave me was to americanized for me and I'm not being a racist because I'm not even if they were born here in the USA they still would not have been given names like that,  I just really DO NOT like giving any kind of personal information over the phone to anyone.   These people were very persistent and wondering why I'm denying to get the gift gas card and coupons, I did tell them well just send me the gas card w/out the coupons that you want a dollar for each and they really was not hearing me on I just can't give them that information and if they already had my name and address why they didn't have the other info, I don't know, but I just couldn't do it so I hung up the phone.

Comments

  • 0
    Mercy
    The exact thing just happened to me. I was calling Ford Auto parts and dial one digit wrong by mistake. They heavy accent man firt sounded so sincere and since he said I will get a $200.00 gas card and discounts on auto services I thought I had the right number. By the time I got myself I had already given my debit card number. I became suspicious when he ask me to just say YES to all the questions I am asked by the person in verification. I got very angry and told him to cancel the whole [***], he said it could not be cancel without a reference # so I listen to a woman speed read from a agreement form. By the time I ask him for the number to call and cancel he keep telling me it will come in the package. I insited and he give me 1-800-548-1116. This is not their number. This is a travel agency.
    We need to stop these people.
  • 0
    tj
    They are a scam operated from a call center based in India.  Do NOT give them any account information.  If you have, contact your bank immediately to block or dispute fraudulent charges, and close the account or block the card number to stop further fraud.


    "I became suspicious when he ask me to just say YES to all the questions I am asked by the person in verification."

    With a fraudulent telemarketer, that usually means they intend to edit your "yes" replies into a "recording" of some other script.


    "By the time I ask him for the number to call and cancel he keep telling me it will come in the package. "

    That means you won't be able to cancel in time to not be charged, since these scams make sure you never receive any information until it is too late.  Note that they didn't even disclose this "term" until after "verification".  That was a deceptive telemarketing call, in direct violation of FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR).


    "I was calling Ford Auto parts and dial one digit wrong by mistake. "

    That is cute.  It lets them pick up calls intended for Ford, with consumers thinking they are dealing with Ford.  Note that they said nothing that might have tipped you off to your mistake.  That is an indication they were expecting calls like yours on that phone number.

    The same type of "1 digit different" number scam was run by some "we'll dial that number for you" phone cramming scams years ago, using numbers similar to ATT's long distance calling card number, but was shut down by FTC due to their fraudulent misrepresentations.  I wonder if they have other "1 digit different" numbers.  

    Contact FTC on this.

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