Call came in @2:51pm today on my cell. Would really like to know how they got the number considering it's unpublished/unlisted and on the canadian DNC list.
It is Saturday, May 07, 2011, and I’ve just received a call from 1-201-373-8347 at1:32 pm (13:32) DST time in Quebec, Canada. On my caller ID, it comes up as "Long Distance" along with the phone number.
I'm on the Canadian DNC list, but I still get these scam calls because they originate from the USA. The problem with these fraudulent call centers is that they are located outside the country, making it difficult to take action against them and the Canadian Do-Not-Call Registry is totally incapable of blocking calls originating from the USA!
I didn't say a word when I answered. But as soon as I said “Hello”, the automated voice said the usual credit card message, saying it was "urgent" that I speak to them and it follows by saying something about lowering my credit card interest rates. It is said the message so fast, that even if I am 50 years old, even I can’t understand it properly!
When I pressed one to speak to a rep, a woman answered and immediately asked for my credit card number from either Visa or MasterCard. Judging from the other voices in the background, I immediately understood that this was a call center so, I quickly asked that woman to give me the name of the company that she was calling from and I noticed that she was struggling as she was saying very quickly "Advance Credit Service Call Center", when I asked her to say the name slowly and spell it out, she noticed that she was no longer in control of this call and she abruptly hung up on me. I immediately I tried to call the number back it gave a busy signal.
The best thing to do is either ignore them because they often switch phone numbers so that you can’t block them or, if you are really actually bored; you could try playing a little song for them with the keys on your phone! Or even better, change your voice and make it sound very old and lead them on...just to see how far they will go! These are illegal calls, because, even if I would pay the extra money to subscribe to a digital phone service that would allow me to block their numbers, it will not stop them because; they are getting more & more devious as they change their phone numbers often.
As soon as they notice a younger voice that does not comply with their demands, they hang up. These Scammers want the “Crash Bang” effect, meaning they want to attack the elderly unsuspecting into getting their credit card numbers so that they can use them for illicit activities.
Even though I am in Canada and I knew the number is in the US, I pulled out a reverse phone number and got this info; the number is a land line and it actually originates from, Hackensack (Bergen County) in New Jersey. Another place said was same as above but on the Verizon Network.
I don't know if this will help anyone, but by the way they behave, it confirms that this is a scam!
I you live in Canada just record the calls on paper and go on the RCMP’s website and report it to them.