I still can't get over how incompetent these people are. They're back to using a pre-recorded message from years ago ("due to the recent federal bailout, you're not eligible for blah blah"). Update that, cardmember services!
Will never understand why they don't make any effort to remove numbers from their lists. I have a good proven record of wasting their time. I'm not going to suddenly grow dumb and fall for the scam. Why waste their own time calling the same person hundreds of times?
Just had this conversation:
"Cardmember services; are you calling to lower the rates on your credit card balances?"
"I can't believe how incompetent your organization is."
"Excuse me?"
"How can a group as incompetent as yours stay around this long?"
"Sir, you pressed 1."
"Yes, and you've called me dozens of times."
*disconnected*
What To Do When You Get an Illegal Robocall; http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/robocalls
1. Hang Up. Do not press 1 or any other numbers to get off the list and NEVER call them back
2. Consider blocking the number or on a cell phone add it to a contact list and assign NO ring tone
3. Report it at http://www.fcc.gov/complaints
4. Report it at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov
5. People should continually file complaints with their Attorney Generals office
6. Report any criminal activity to the FBI here: https://tips.fbi.gov
The FCC has temporarily halted 9 minor boiler rooms that will receive a slap on the wrist and be back at it within a few days. Civil action by the FTC against such criminals is totally ineffective. These criminals need to be charged with FEDERAL FELONIES and subjected to significant prison time. All of those involved know that they are violating FTC regulations. The FTC levies huge fines, then rescinds them based on inability to pay. The FTC settles for the minimal cash on hand, and enjoins them from future telemarketing. The criminals sign off, then go right back to business as usual. These same people under different companies have been sued in the past and have only paid a minimal fine. At the height of this telephone debacle it's been said that each call center was making 27 calls a second, which is a whopping 2.4 million calls in a single day.
The criminals behind this operation aren't going to pay attention to you asking to be removed from their list. Their calls cost them almost nothing and they make millions of them so they have no intention of ever removing someone. When you press a key to talk to them all that is accomplished is to verify that they have a working number.
Despite the best interagency enforcement efforts to combat mass marketing fraud, the FBI remains cognizant of the fact that the only enduring remedy for this crime problem lies in consumer education and fraud prevention programs. Toward this end, the FBI has not only produced its own mass marketing fraud prevention materials, but coordinates on other public information efforts with the DOJ, FTC, and the USPIS, among others. The FBI also supports a consumer fraud prevention website in conjunction with the USPIS which can be located on the web at: http://www.stopfraud.gov. Additionally, further information on mass marketing fraud schemes can be found at www.fbi.gov, www.ftc.gov, www.ic3.gov, and www.stopfraud.gov.
Robocalls are illegal unless you have given them prior permission in writing (not worded into some small print contract from a 3rd party) and are absolutely illegal to a cell phone. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act permits individuals who have received certain unlawful telemarketing, such as junk faxes or telemarketing calls, to sue the violator in state courts where they may be awarded up to $1500 for each violation.
EVERYONE should be reporting them everywhere that they can. It is important to keep up the pressure even though nothing seems to be getting done, or else the government will just sit back and claim they are doing a good job since there are fewer complaints.
Since this is an obvious attempt at identity theft and is interstate, the FBI should be forced to get involved. Charge them with a CRIMINAL offense and throw them in prison instead of the FCC saying 'Naughty - naughty, now go out and play nice'. (Prosecute them in criminal court instead of civil penalties).
Thanks for sharing this. However, it takes me quite a bit of time to fill out all of the complaints when the scammer is just going to change their number tomorrow. So far, filling out complaints has not proven to be effective.
I have over 30 different numbers saved in my phone from these type of calls and I assign them a "no ring" tone. For the first 50 or so calls I would go through all the BS of filing a report with the AG of my state, the AG of the state it was from, the FCC, etc, etc. It's pointless. The government is helpless to stop these people. The sentence for these kind of fraud crimes should be 20 years but we don't have enough prisons to house murders much less con artists. Obama is so anxious to use drones to attack Americans on American soil, I have a good idea as to which targets he should hit. The home of the guy that owns these companies, yes they know who he is, and their call centers.
One note, I never received these types of calls when I had T-Mobile. The calls started the first week I changed to Verizon. I even got a Verizon service rep to admit they sell customer's numbers but then they denied it later.