Why yes, I am a moron! Please enroll me in your fascinating debt consolidation scam.
October 4, 2011 2:17 PM Subscribe
Why am I still getting "card member services" scam robocalls?
For a couple of years now, I've been getting scam robocalls to my cell phone from "Cardmember Services" offering me some kind of bogus debt consolidation scam, or maybe just trying to trick me into giving them my credit card numbers.
Pressing "1" to speak with a representative invariably connects to someone who hangs up immediately when asked any questions about their business.
My question for AskMe is why has the FCC not shut these bastards down? Is the FCC asleep at the wheel, or are there technical/legal obstacles involved? Surely a few subpoenas to phone companies would lead law enforcement directly to the scammer at the other end of the phone?
I do file FCC and Do Not Call Registry complaints. Judging by teh internets, so do many others. But I'm guessing those are mostly useless, since the calls can't be tracked to a legitimate business and the originating numbers are likely spoofed.
For a couple of years now, I've been getting scam robocalls to my cell phone from "Cardmember Services" offering me some kind of bogus debt consolidation scam, or maybe just trying to trick me into giving them my credit card numbers.
Pressing "1" to speak with a representative invariably connects to someone who hangs up immediately when asked any questions about their business.
My question for AskMe is why has the FCC not shut these bastards down? Is the FCC asleep at the wheel, or are there technical/legal obstacles involved? Surely a few subpoenas to phone companies would lead law enforcement directly to the scammer at the other end of the phone?
I do file FCC and Do Not Call Registry complaints. Judging by teh internets, so do many others. But I'm guessing those are mostly useless, since the calls can't be tracked to a legitimate business and the originating numbers are likely spoofed.
Best answer: The FCC moves slow, and these kind of scammers move fast.
posted by nomisxid at 3:09 PM on October 4, 2011
posted by nomisxid at 3:09 PM on October 4, 2011
Best answer: I don't know about where you live (the USA judging by your FCC references) but where I live, New Zealand, these type of calls often originate from outside the country and so are challenging for the govt to do anything about.
posted by southof40 at 3:09 PM on October 4, 2011
posted by southof40 at 3:09 PM on October 4, 2011
Best answer: By the way, you need to file your complaint with the FTC (not FCC).
posted by Thorzdad at 3:14 PM on October 4, 2011
posted by Thorzdad at 3:14 PM on October 4, 2011
Best answer: Yeah, frustrating as it is, I think nomisxid has it. They're apparently boiler-room operations that set up shop and then move on before enforcement can catch up with them — and given that they're mostly a nuisance rather than a serious crime, enforcement may not move as fast as those of us on the receiving end of the nuisance would like.
posted by RogerB at 3:29 PM on October 4, 2011
posted by RogerB at 3:29 PM on October 4, 2011
Response by poster: Yes, sorry about that, I'm in the USA. It's unlikely that they're offshore - the "representatives" I've talked to have all had American accents. Couldn't possibly be Canadian; Canadians are too nice to do something like this.
I file both FCC and FTC complaints. AFAIK do-not-call violations are the FTC's jurisdiction, but spoofing numbers is the FCC? Not sure about robocalls to personal cell phones.
I guess it's a combination of "the scammers move fast" and "they're mostly a nuisance". Sigh.
Ah, yes. Calls from "Rachel". I get them, too.
Usually they're from Rachel, but the two calls I got today were not. I miss her already!
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 4:00 PM on October 4, 2011
I file both FCC and FTC complaints. AFAIK do-not-call violations are the FTC's jurisdiction, but spoofing numbers is the FCC? Not sure about robocalls to personal cell phones.
I guess it's a combination of "the scammers move fast" and "they're mostly a nuisance". Sigh.
Ah, yes. Calls from "Rachel". I get them, too.
Usually they're from Rachel, but the two calls I got today were not. I miss her already!
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 4:00 PM on October 4, 2011
I guess it's a combination of "the scammers move fast" and "they're mostly a nuisance". Sigh.
They are far from a nuisance. They are phishing for credit/debit card accounts. My mother is 84 and has Alzheimer's, and her decision-making abilities are very impaired. I lose sleep over what she might do if "Rachel" starts calling her. I can easily see her falling for the scam and her funds being quickly emptied.
Other than removing her phone, I'm not sure what I can do to protect her. Her number is on both state and federal no-call databases, but, obviously, that doesn't mean squat to these scum.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:51 AM on October 5, 2011
They are far from a nuisance. They are phishing for credit/debit card accounts. My mother is 84 and has Alzheimer's, and her decision-making abilities are very impaired. I lose sleep over what she might do if "Rachel" starts calling her. I can easily see her falling for the scam and her funds being quickly emptied.
Other than removing her phone, I'm not sure what I can do to protect her. Her number is on both state and federal no-call databases, but, obviously, that doesn't mean squat to these scum.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:51 AM on October 5, 2011
Robo-calling Rachel, leave me alone (the Boston Globe consumer columnist, yesterday).
posted by dhartung at 10:34 AM on October 5, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by dhartung at 10:34 AM on October 5, 2011 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
From what I can tell, it's a fairly sophisticated operation. It's almost impossible to identify an actual phone number the calls are originating from as they seem to rotate through an endless list of random, usually inoperative, numbers to thwart any attempt at identifying the caller.
I'm pretty sure the FTC has, in fact, gone after groups running this scam, but it seems to reappear almost immediately.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:07 PM on October 4, 2011