For Will Robertson, the scam began with a text message, offering a discount on his DirectTV account. He call the attached number to hear the pitch.
“You will have 50% off your bill for the next two years,” heard Robertson. “You will also get the NFL ticket.”
He paid the salesman $425 with a pre-paid credit card as instructed. The next day, he realized he’d been scammed.
“I said something`s not right because I checked my TV,” said Robertson. “I didn’t get the premium channels.”
Dana Mead fell for a similar con from a caller who claimed to work for AT&T. he offered to reduce the cost of her plan in exchange for an upfront payment.
"He acted very smooth as if he had done this all the time, it's part of his job.," remembered Mead.
Mean paid him $270 with a gift card.
“A lot of people do fall for it,” said Katherine Hutt with the Better Business Bureau. “They want you to act before you have time to think, before you have time to talk to a family member. So, a sense of urgency is also something we see a lot.”
Hutt said requests for untraceable payments are usually the red flag. “If they only ask for pre-paid credit cards, that's a big sign that this is a scam…Pre-paid credit cards or debit cards is just never used for legitimate debt collection.”
If you’re interested in an offer but not sure it’s real, Hutt said resist the pressure to pay immediately. Hang up and call the customer service number on your bill to confirm.