Beware of Shifty Credit Related Phone Calls

Michael Bowler | RSS | Thu, Jun 11 2009 | 11 Comments

Yesterday I received a phone call, I assume a telemarketing phone call, on my home phone number that I knew I had to share with my readers at Lucrative Investing. It was by far the most humorous phone call I have received in a long time, and definitely something worth sharing for the entertainment value and the lesson it provides. The call came up on the caller ID as “Local Area” and the number 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 eligible for lower interest rates because you have made all your payments on time and have shown responsible use of your credit. To inquire further about lower interest rates on your existing credit card, press ’1’.”

I was curious and a little bored, so I pressed ‘1’ and a man came right to the phone. This is the exchange from that telephone conversation, with “Telemarketer” being the man on the other end that represents ‘Card Services’, and “MB” being myself:

Telemarketer: Hello?

MB: Hi.

Telemarketer: Are you responding to the offer for lower interest rates?

MB: I guess.

Telemarketer: Well, you are eligible for lower interest rates on an existing 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 primary credit card holder, and you pressed ‘1’, so I would assume that’s you.

MB: Well, we have four credit card holders in this house. If you would like to give me a name, I can certainly….

Telemarketer: [Click]

MB: Hello? [Humorously, 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. Nobody even knows if whatever group or company he works for is reputable. I thought it was humorous that they used the name “Card Services”, considering some reputable companies that you may actually do business with use that when they call, because that is the name of the department that is calling you. When Chase, who I once had a card with, called me, they often said they were with “Card Services”, so I thought it was possible Chase was calling me, though I seriously doubted it as I no longer have 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 know that they had no business calling me, especially since we are on the “Do Not Call Registry”, which has long since proven that it means nothing.

Be smart, 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 everyday and one false move could compromise your financial wellbeing, either in a small way or a big way. They might have been legitimate, 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 cautious when a call like that comes in.

Related posts:
Wells Fargo wants to stand out and raise credit card rates
What will the credit card companies do?

Tags: caller id, telemarketing, existing credit card