Stop montly withdrawal from my bank acc
Complaint
Mohammed Saad
Country: United States
I have received a monthly charge on my Bank of America account for $40 dated Feb09. I did receive a phone call claimed to be from Bank of America some time ago to try a certain insurance for a trial period. to be followed by more details.Nothing was received until I got a charge of $40 off my acc. I wrote to B of A who did not seem to know who the "merchant" was. I want to CANCELL this montly charge effective immediatly and the $40 charged to my acc reversed.
Thanks
Mohammed
Thanks
Mohammed
Comments
Whereas "SmartStep" appears to be third party marketing (Chartered Marketing) of an insurance product provided by a company other than BofA and it appears that at least the pretense of "authorization" is alleged, the HSBC "debt cancellation" insurance appears to be a product through "HSBC Insurance", possibly an affiliate, with most reports that it just appears on statements. Some reports indicate a telemarketing call preceded the appearance of the charges, which appeared despite declining the product.
Pattern appears similar to Providian practices before they were sued by San Francisco.
http://householdwatch.com/news/interactive/category/insurance-issues/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Providian_Financial_Corporation
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2002/05/05/MN138910.DTL
The representation of the recording as authorization is an indication that phone recording is being used as the only authorization. No date of birth, customer provided account number, or other identifying information that the telemarketer doesn't already have, is required to "authorize" the "plan".
The combination of outside telemarketers with access to customer account information, authorized only by phone recordings which can be faked and could only be reliably verified by the customers themselves, is a recipe for fraud.
http://www.complaints.com/Chase-Bank-One-Paym ... cam-133729.html
"Chase Bank One "Payment Protector" Telemarketer Scam
Chase Bank One "Payment Protector" Telemarketer Scam 1 complaints
Business Rating
Unrated
fink9847530
Posted the following Complaint
August 27, 2005 00:00:00Chase Bank One "Payment Protector" Telemarketer Scam
August 26, 2005
Chase Bank One "Payment Protector" Telemarketer Scam
In July I noticed a $40.18 charge on my account from " Payment Protector." Not knowing what it was, I called the number and they stated that I orally agreed over the phone to have a payment protector plan in case I get ill or laid off from my job. So apparently this was the third month, (over $120 in charges ). I told them I would never authorize this and insisted they remove this fee. They told me it would take up to 12 WEEKS for this matter to be "investigated" and someone would get back to me.
Well today, about 9 weeks after the fact, I called them to see if this matter was investigated and they prompted me to listen to a 2 minute recording of my supposed acceptance of this plan with a telemarketer they recorded. I listened to this recording and was baffled...
The recording started with a telemarketer asking the client to verify the spelling of his last name...I hear G R O N... which isnt even the proper spelling of my name. And the client, an older man's voice ( I AM A FEMALE IN MY 20s) says :" that is correct." It is this point in the call that this "payment protector" agency says was proof of consent to this payment plan!!!! Then in the recording you hear a telemarketer go on and on in a scripted shpeel about the conditions of this agreement and this older man's voice again asking the telemarketer questions. I hear her say "Yes, Mr. Warner."
Mr. Warner? WHO is Mr. Warner? Why are they using another caller's voice to try to prove that it was in fact me??? If they were good scammers why wouldnt they at least try to use a female's voice???? And to top it all off the lady at the payment protection agency was so RUDE!!!
After a lot of calling in between my bank and this protection agency, I finally got the 3 months they charged my credit card refunded back to me but this was ONLY because the voice was a man and I do not have any males authorized on my account.
But I believe this company purposely put together a "hard to understand" call with another client's recorded voice to try and scam me out of my money and I am completely sick to my stomach. I will never answer my phone if this company calls again and will cancel this card as soon as my balance is paid off.
I hope this doesnt happen to anyone else and if you are accused of signing up for something you dont remember doing, insist that they provide you proof and dont believe what they say without proof.
jennifer
..."
Complaints appear connected to unauthorized sign-ups as recently as 2006.
Complaint from 2008 alleges an unauthorized sign-up 5 years earlier.
Although Chase still offers Payment Protector Plan, they may have tightened up their authorization procedures a couple years ago, which would indicate they were aware of problems in phone authorization.
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/325/RipOff0325535.htm
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/135/RipOff0135698.htm
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/192/RipOff0192729.htm
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/191/RipOff0191982.htm
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/045/RipOff0045738.htm
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/148/RipOff0148727.htm
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/119/RipOff0119010.htm
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/039/RipOff0039853.htm
Note: "just wanted to verify my name and address so he could send me some information. He said he would be taping my responses "for accuracy"."
Other reports have indicated PPP telemarketing originated from a call center in India.
http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/pdf/Archive/M ... 12/msg00436.pdf
"...
A few weeks ago I got a phone call from a heavily−accented Indian
telemarketer who wanted to "send me some information about the Chase
Payment Protector Plan". I have a credit card that was changed from
the original company to Chase a few months after I obtained it.
Normally, I am abrupt on the phone with unsolicited calls to the point
of utter rudeness. This guy would not let me get a word in edgewise.
And his accent was so bad I had to listen carefully to make sure it
wasn't a legitimate call.
He said that it wasn't a sales call; he just wanted to verify my name
and address so he could send me some information. He said he would be
taping my responses "for accuracy".
You guessed it; next thing I knew I was enrolled in the Payment
Protector Plan. The charge came on my bill today. Of course I called
Customer Disservice immediately. An insincere Disservice droid said
she was oh so sorry that had happened but FORTUNATELY I was still
within the 30 day Review Period.
..."
http://www.americanbanker.com/article.html?id ... 0080225SCNBEAMC
http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/42112.html
"...
Security problems at call centers in India are encouraged by the following:
Turnover rates of 50 percent to 100 percent in many call centers, which makes it hard to monitor employees;
High internal and external turnover by top managers at big outsourcing firms, which makes accountability and continuity difficult;
Poor employee screening procedures;
Lack of action by NASSCOM and other Indian high-tech associations, which are more focused on the needs of the largest firms in the industry than on the industry as a whole;
A corporate culture that seeks to maximize financial gains from offshore outsourcing, and which permeates down through the ranks;
Disengagement by the U.S. client community, particularly banks and credit card firms;
An outmoded and obsolete fraud enforcement apparatus in the U.S., which has been slow to recognize how new global business practices and technologies are changing the way enforcement activities need to be conducted.
..."
https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/R-mKfej92gBLOQjKavSKZA
"Lorraine - 28 Oct 2008
I immediately wrote to the address at the top of the informational materials that came in the mail and my credit card was still billed. I was just told that the phone number (said quickly by the representative whom I spoke with) was the only contact for cancellation and that my letter to the insurance company did not constitute a cancellation notice. I disputed that with the phone representative and was told that someone would "look into it." They make it so difficult to find cancellation information on the materials they send out that this surely is a scam."
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/post200/2007/INTX/
"About Intersections Inc.
14901 Bogle Dr., Chantilly, Va. 20151
www.intersections.com | 703-488-6100 | Founded: 1996
Industry: Financial Services | Category: Top 100 Companies
Intersections offers its services directly to consumers and through its relationships with some of the largest credit card companies in the nation, and it is seeking to form relationships with insurance companies, mortgage companies, brokerages, associations and others.
The number of subscribers to Intersections' identity-theft services grew to 4.6 million in 2006 from 3.6 million in 2005. Still, profit was down: Net income for the year ended Dec. 31, 2006, was $9.4 million, compared with $12.5 million for the previous year.
A mix-up with a credit card company caused Intersections to lose about $1.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2006 after it experienced "a significant increase in credit card declines," according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Intersections said that the spike occurred at the same time the credit card company's system was being converted and that it initially thought the declines might be the result of that change, so it continued to provide services to those customers. In the first quarter of this year, Intersections said it collected about $490,000 by rebilling the affected customers, but the company still expects to cancel service to 250,000 to 300,000 subscribers.
The company said it has adjusted its projections to account for the difference.
...
... Intersections acquired Chartered Marketing Services in July, which allowed the company to expand its services to consumer discounts on health-care, home, and auto-related expenses, access to professional and legal information, and life, accidental death and disability insurance products.
Intersections also signed a four-year agreement to operate a nonprofit organization set up by credit card companies to provide assistance to identity-theft victims.
"
http://www.identityguard.com/pressroom/IdentityGuardInTheNews/default.aspx
Note similarities to complaints of insurance cramming, including use of doctored phone recordings as a common practice in slamming.
http://www.nclnet.org/senslam.htm
"...
receiving calls from companies pretending to be their existing carriers, asking if they are satisfied with their service, or from organizations supposedly conducting surveys. If whoever answers says yes to any of the questions, their answers are taped and then presented later as proof of authorization;
asking for written information in response to a telephone solicitation -- something that we always encourage consumers to do -- and then having their service switched;
failing to respond to negative option notices that they think are simply junk mail, when in fact their service will be switched to the sender's company unless they give notice that they do not want that to happen.
...
Problems with Proof of Authorization
When consumers do manage to reach the slammers or their representatives and question the authorization for switching, the proof that is offered is often fabricated. For instance, consumers report that:
the signatures on written authorization forms were forged;
the audio tapes were doctored so that "yes" answers in response to questions unrelated to switching telephone service were used as proof of authorization;
the names of the people who supposedly agreed to switch were unknown to them;
In one case, the person who purportedly authorized the switch was long-deceased.
Frequently, the companies claim to have audio tape recordings of the agreement but refuse to play them. One consumer said that the company eventually said there was a problem with the tape and it was blank. Another contended that he was out of town on business and there was no one else home when the conversation supposedly occurred. In some cases the people named as agreeing to switch were children, who clearly had no authority in that regard.
..."
http://pamela641.tripod.com/id4.html
http://chicago.bbb.org/article/6629
"...
“The BBB has issued this advisory because the company identified as the National Yellow Pages Online has a pattern of consumer complaints and has failed to correct the underlying reason for the complaints,” stated Steve J. Bernas, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois.
According to Bernas, most of the complaints filed with the BBB state that National Yellow Pages Online has made misleading or inaccurate comments about the company's true identity. Based upon a company’s response to these statements, National Yellow Pages Online has then charged the company a $398.00 “renewal” fee for a business listing. Yet, the companies filing complaints with the BBB have said they did not agree or authorize payment for the “renewal” services.
...
According to complaints received by the BBB, National Yellow Pages Online refuses to cancel the allegedly unauthorized charges, and states the company will pursue further action and collections if the $389.00 invoices are not paid. National Yellow Pages Online also insists that the company records conversations and phone authorizations, which the complainants dispute and state the NYPO representatives repeatedly attempt to force consumers into giving yes or no answers, and allege that the recordings are cut early and/or "doctored" when replayed back to them.
..."
BBB report:
http://www.bbb.org/chicago/business-reviews/p ... ell-il-88256394
National Yellow Pages Online
43410 N Kilbourne Rd
PO Box 183
Russell, IL 60075-1000
Phone: (866) 270-6697
Arlington Heights IL and Russell IL are only 38 miles apart by road.
"Cramming" for "business listing" scam with doctored phone recording.
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/435/RipOff0435675.htm
"...
Be cautious of anyone calling to 'verify' your information for a free business lisitng, even if you go through the conversation and tell them you don't want to buy anything or are not interested.
This exact thing happend to me where I receive a phone call from a person claiming they were with the phone company and wanted to verify our free business listing. I told them I was a not interested, I was not authorizing any service and was not purchasing a thing. I then verified that I was the person who could make the decision and that was my mistake.
On my phone bill I had a charge from OAN billing on behalf of Better Benefits Org. - Webhosting Mthly for $29.95.
We do not need 'webhosting' we have our own website...
I then entered a search for the company name and found the website of www.betterbenefitsorg.com and went to it. Guess what, they are a directory listing service... SCAM... I input my company info in the search fields and we are not even listed in there.
When I called OAN, I spoke to Dianna, I gave her the information from the phone bill and was initially told that she did not have an account. I explained to her that we were receiving the $29.95 charge for a service that we did not authorize, and as I understand it this is CRAMMING and is illegal. She suddenly was able to find my account and amazingly had a recording where 'I' authroized the free 30 day trial service. The recording was obviously doctored there was an East Indian lady (based on accent) asking questions then it would cut over to my voice saying yes or my name and the background noise was different between her speaking and my 'answers' plus every yes answer was 'EXACTLY' the same, I do not speak like that.
..."
"Cramming" with doctored phone recording.
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/340/RipOff0340092.htm
"...
I was called by someone too and should have hung up quickly.... Well, now I've learned my lesson. In March of 2007 I called GreatBizSites to say that I never authorized any service by them, all I authorized was for them to fax some information. To do even that I was asked a series of questions at which point they had to restart the whole thing every time I embellished my answer. All they wanted was 'Yes' or 'No'. Well that should have been my first clue to hang up, but dummy me; I gave them what I wanted. Next thing I know, I do not get a fax, but I do get charged $119.90 on my March phone bill. I called the 800 number on the phone bill to complain and the replayed the recording, which was completely doctored. They took my yes and no answers and made them fit exactly where they wanted them to make it sound as if I agreed to purchase their services.
..."
Effectively a "bait and switch" scam with doctored phone recording to deflect credit card dispute.
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/215/RipOff0215515.htm
"...
After getting off the phone with Nick, I got a call from my Credit Card company informing me there was a charge of $1920 on my account, and they deemed it suspicious activity. I told them I did not authorize a charge in that amount.
I called Nick and he immediately played the tape for me. This time, SOMEHOW, on the tape he mentions the $1920, but it wasn't there the first time. I would've heard a number that large. When I confronted him about this, he told me I don't understand that companies can't do things like that. 'That's considered fraud,' he told me. He told me that I made an honest mistake but I was contractually bound, and he told me to 'be a man' and fulfill my obligation to his company.
Nick also made it sound like he worked for an owner. Which becomes particularly interesting considering Nick said he 'idolizes the owner' he considers the man 'a genius,' and 'he can be your best friend or your worst enemy.' All those things take on a new meaning when one realizes he's talking about himself.
He offered me a buyout that would return half my money, but I would have had to sign something saying I give up my rights to claims/disputes in the past, present, or future. Realizing there must be a better option, I contacted my lawyer. She told me to dispute it; she said no one would give my money to a scumbag like Nick.
I contacted my Credit CArd company and filed a dispute. I was concerned, however, because Nick told me he hadn't lost a dispute in 7 years. He also said, if I filed a dispute, he would turn me over to a collection agency and not only would I lose the entire $1920, but I would also be charged $1000 for from the collection agency, costing me closer to $3000, and he said my credit rating would be ruined. He said he was sorry, but this was his owner's (ha) policy.
Nick also lied, saying VISA only requires a verbal contract, meaning his deceitful (and probably doctored) tape. But VISA told me they won't even listen to a tape; it's not even considered by the company. My lawyer also told me this tape is worthless.
So if Nick is scamming you, and he'll try, don't believe his bit about the credit card company accepting his tape as a 'verbal contract.' In fact, you're better off not believing anything he says. I could share more details, and I will if anyone is interested in him, but the bottom line is: Nick is deceitful and he wants your money, and he'll do anything to get it.
..."
"Cleaning supplies" scam with doctored phone recording alleging "accepting a bribe" (offered but declined "gift card"), used as extortionate threat.
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/289/RipOff0289681.htm
"...
Group Chemical unsolicited called an employee and offered a free sample of custodial chamcials for trial. In the same call they offered a gift certificate to say thank you. Even though the employee on the phone refused to accept the gift card.
Group Chemical a month later called back and played back for the employee a doctored copy of the conversation that says the employee verablly
accepted the gift card.
Group Chemcial then demanded the college buy their products at > 200% more than it was worth or they would speak to the employees supervisor and disclose to them the tape recording they accepted a bribe and then shipped the chemcials even though told not to and billed the college > 200% for the product than it was worth and then had colection companies harrass us to pay for their products.
..."
"Directory listing" scam with doctored phone recording, that actually changes when played at a later time.
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/071/RipOff0071762.htm
"...
In September, during the hurricane, got a bill from Union Tel for 399.95 dollars. So I called Union Tel, and asked about the bill. She pretty much only told me what was listed on the bill. So I asked in what book? Publication? She says its in a national listing. Then she immediatly asked if I wanted to hear the confirmation recording.
I hear the same guy as I heard from the verification part, he asked if my name was so-and-so. I hear 'myself' saying 'Yeah.' to every question asked. And every 'Yeah' I said had a lot of static. Then the Union Tel rep. came back on and asked me if the recording answered my questions. I didn't now how to react, it sounded like me, but I know the conversation didn't go like that.
...
We finally reach Union Tel on the 12th.
So we questioned the bill again. And the rep. pretty much said the same thing, and played the audio tape again. But this time, it has me saying 'Yes' quickly, for each question asked. And also it has me saying my name instead of the verification rep. confirming each part of my name. Then towards the end the guy asked if would be ok to send the 399.95 bill from Union Tel, then abruptly ends, no confirmation from 'me'.
We flat out told the Union Tel rep. that the tape was 'bogus'. She immediatly retaliated with 'No it's not!' and stated that the recordings are saved on the internet. Oh my god! Anyone could have obtained the recordings! Then we asked about the recording she played for me in Sept., and she denied ever playing it to me.
..."
http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/rich-tehrani/yellow-pages-scam.html
"He played back the recording of my conversation with Shannon. During the recording, Shannon's explanation of the fact that I was in fact authorizing a purchase was crystal clear the first time, which right off makes me truly believe that this tape has been tampered with. Because right after he says that, you hear me ask him to repeat himself. This is because I could not understand a word he said - he was WAY to quiet. He does repeat himself and I say yes. "
"I am so glad to find more information about this so called company. I actually looked up this address in Russel, IL and it is listed to a person, not a company. They also tried to play a recording for my bosses wife and she said she could tell it was tampered with. I actually haven't been with my company too long so I always tell people that I have to discuss it with the owner. He left a message today for "Ray" and told them that we aren't paying for it and to quit calling, so they faxed us a copy of our "invoice" 4-5 times. I don't know if they've done this to anyone else, but all the times they call here, they never say "National Yellow Pages" until you ask them. They just say yellow pages and that right there told me it was a scam."
"Gordon then got rude, told me this wasn't going away and he could play me the recording. I told him I had already heard the doctored tape and to have a nice day we weren't paying the invoice. He got angry and loud and I hung up. He immediately called back and left a message on my voice mail that this wasn't going away just because I hung up on him. I have already filed a claim with the FTC"
"They will yell at you, threaten you, and say they have a recording. You cannot attempt to converse with them because then they think they have a shot at you paying them money. Everything he said to me, my response was I know this is a scam, you are all over the internet, you're WASTING YOUR TIME. Eventually he gave up, although I did get a call back trying to get me to listen to the recording."
"I asked for recording wich I also beleive to be doctored-up. I agreed to pay because it was our employees voice."
"I just had a voice mail from the National Yellow Pages saying that they don't care what the owner has to say. I have to pay this bill!! That is obsurd! Then they play back a recording of me saying yes to a listing for $389. I would never authorize such a purchase without speaking with my boss first. The recording that they had me listen to was so chopped up!"
"She said that our account was sitting in collections and on it's way to a lawyer. I said, Thanks for letting me know. You can mark down that I said we aren't paying. She said that she had a recording of me authorizing payment. I said, I'm sure you do! You probably purchased it from the first company that scammed us. She again mentioned how our account was being sent to a lawyer's office. "
"It's been the exact same scam. They called and got me on the phone to verify information. Since we do a lot of advertising, I didn't think twice about it. They have a recording of me on the phone saying that I am authorized to approve invoices. What I really said was that I am authorized to accept any invoices and would pass them along to the owner of the company. "
"YPMEdia scam. Same thing, they called us in Oct '08 to verify yellow pages info without any word of a purchase, the amount, or any kind of cancellation procedure (which they later try use against you by saying you didn't cancel within the "cancellation period" they never actually told you about). We've received several calls from Ken Adams, Dan, and Lauren. At first they tried to do us a favor by discounting the bill but now they're harassing us with phone calls."
The only reason why a scam outfit would not only continue to run their scam for years, but also continue to play the "recorded phone authorization" game is that it must work often enough to be worth it. Crime pays.
http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/llevett/7.pdf
"...
Results and discussion
Even with a less plausible accusation, the vast majority of subjects signed the confession and internalized the false act.3 Overall, 93% of subjects complied: 87% on the first request and 7% on the second request. Thirty per cent of subjects partially internalized the act and 43% fully internalized it. Ten per cent of subjects hypothesized about how it might have happened and 7% confabulated details. Except for the full internalization rate of told-video subjects, which was notably lower than in the previous experiment, these confession and internalization rates are similar to those in Experiment 1. Thus, even when subjects wereaccused of committing a relatively implausible act, we obtained extremely high levels of false confessions and false beliefs.
..."
http://fightfraud.nv.gov/PR/PR-2008-10-21PhoneListingScam.pdf
"...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — October 21, 2008
CONTACT: Elisabeth Shurtleff, Public Information Officer
PHONE: (702) 486-2756 E-MAIL: eshurtleff@business.nv.gov
Consumer Affairs Division Warns Small Business Owners:
Beware of Online Phone Listing Scam
LAS VEGAS – The Nevada Consumer Affairs Division is warning of an online phone listing scam that targets small business owners.
The scam commonly starts with someone claiming to be from the online “yellow pages” calling a business, saying that they are simply updating your current listing. The small business owner, or a staff person, confirms the details. Several weeks later, the business receives a bill for tens to hundreds of
dollars for an online listing. The business disputes the charges, indicating that they never agreed to any additional services but merely confirmed an existing listing. The company then produces a doctored recording that they altered using the business person saying “yes” to the confirmation details.
..."
To even get their attention, it may be necessary to make an OCC complaint based on violations of federal law by BofA itself, such as GLB, Reg. E, or ACH violations or aiding and abetting fraud by their marketing partner.
http://investor.bankofamerica.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=71595&p=irol-govcontact
"Contact the Board of Directors
Persons seeking to communicate with the Board of Directors, any director, non-management members of the Board as a group or any committee of the Board should send a letter to the Corporate Secretary at Bank of America Corporation, 101 South Tryon Street, NC1-002-29-01, Charlotte, NC 28255. The letter should indicate to whom the communication is intended. The Corporate Secretary or the secretary of the designated committee may sort or summarize the communications as appropriate. Communications that are commercial solicitations, customer complaints, incoherent or obscene will not be communicated to the Board or any director or committee of the Board.
"
Members of the Audit Committee:
William Barnet III, (66)
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Barnet Company
John T. Collins, (62)
Chief Executive Officer, The Collins Group, Inc.
Tommy R. Franks, (63)
Retired General, United States Army
Thomas J. May , (61)
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, NSTAR
Joseph W. Prueher, (66)
Retired Admiral, United States Navy