If it's a scam, then why is it only happening to people who have applied in the past day or two for a Bank of America card? I too applied for a Bank of America card, but since I was on the home business line I wasn't able to pick up the house line. There needs to be a better script than 'what is your social security number', whoever the third party is. And it's dishonest to outsource this kind of application approval with the intent of forcing people to call back or the intent to deny people credit outright if they don't give out personal information to anyone who demands it.
Perhaps I can get some information out of them in order to file an official complaint with Bank of America and the third party outfit
Addendum: it is Bank of America. I spoke with Paul at Bank of America Credit Services at the toll free number given by Dan and QG4. Dan asked if I was calling in regards to a message left for me. I told him no, I had to go online in order to find out who called me, because no message was left for me and when I did call the number back on my caller ID I received a fast busy signal. I don't think Paul is going to put in a report about a customer saying the number doesn't work -- that's not how American customer service at the big boys works anymore. So I'll have to email support myself.
He asked for my last name and zip code. He confirmed where I worked and asked why I didn't have any credit history before 2006 and asked if I'd had any problems or a bankruptcy. I told him i had not had a bankruptcy. He said it was unusual to have such a short account history and that Bank of America members usually have 5 to 7 years worth of history before being considered for an account. That's not true. I asked him if that was really the case, and if it had to do with my source of income and amount of income. He said no. I don't believe him, but he has a script to read, and I'll see what's actually on the denial letter.
I told him that was unusual to tell people they have to wait 5 to 7 years before being approved, and if it was possible to apply for a secured card. He stated those are offered by the branches themselves and I'd have to go in physically to apply for one. I asked if another credit pull would be done, and he said yes. I asked why, he said that it's federal regulation to pull a separate report even if you apply for different products (multiple bank accounts which require credit pull to open, debit card, several credit cards) IN ONE DAY because each is a separate credit application. I told him that wasn't true about the federal part, that not every bank does that (in particular credit unions), and that it's detrimental to bank members to pull multiple credit applications with the same insitution at the same time when the information is going to be the same. He said that was federal law.
That's fine. But that's not true at all. Case in point: Chase. Big Bank. Does NOT pull separate credit reports for each credit card you apply for on the same day. At least, Chase didn't before the economy exploded. Things always change.
Another case in point: some credit unions (though not all). If you're lucky, you'll happen upon a credit union which will use the same pull for 3 months. Others are like Chase pre-Economy exploding. Not all will do that, but if you find the ones which do, it feels good. People have good things to say about Bank of America. I missed the part where they treat credit pulls like Wells Fargo does (reports of WF pulling just to change your address are out there; I know for a fact WF employees will swear they will pull soft and only pull soft for accounts when they actually pull hard) -- just extremely credit pull happy. That's my own fault for not reading enough. It was a waste of an Experian pull with Bank of America, but you live and learn, and I've learned they don't want me or my business' business. It'll be gone in 25 months, which is an eternity, but after that, it's hasta to the pull and whatever to Bank of America.
This IS LEGIT. I applied for a BOA credit card and the next day this number called me and asked me to call an 866 number. I didn't call the 866 number, and I recieved a call from this number 3 days in a row. Finally I called the number that had been calling me and a woman answered from BOA credit applications and just asked for my name and zip code and then she was able to pull up my application and verifiy my info. She NEVER asked for my SSN. This is legit. I would suggest calling the 302 number back instead of the 866 as I was able to get someone directly immediately.
Didn't leave a message, today, however, yesterday, another call came from this same number. We did get a message, then, but it was from Blockbuster, to inform that the movie my spouse rented was due back. What is odd is that all the reference for this number being for BofA or from a contractor used by BofA, our BofA credit card WAS the card used to purchase the Blockbuster rental. Odd! At the same time, I am late on my American Express payment, this month, so a call from them WOULD be anticipated. Same goes for Citi. I'm late on both of these cards, as of yesterday, however, the identical number did come up on caller ID, yesterday, with - at approximately the same time, per the voicemail "envelope" information - the aforementioned message ostensibly from Blockbuster. Don't know what to make of it all.
This is a scam. I called Bank of America directly and was told that they had gotten 30 calls that day before mine. If you ever give someone your Social Security number or any personal information they don't already know over the phone because they ask for it you may as well just sign a book of blank checks and mail it to them.