From my Vonage phone, I called my parent, who almost didn't answer because the caller ID showed that I was calling from this phone number, which of course is not anything close to my number. I even called back a second time to check if it would be consistent...it was. Strange though, every other time I called in the past, the caller id number appeared correct to them.
Got a call from this number 02-09-2011 @ 12:03 pm from a gentleman with the name of Michael Manley stating I had won $250,000.00 and a brand new Mercedes and he wanted to deliver both to me that day, THE CATCH was I had to pay $250.00 up front to receive my gifts......I told him if I had won those things I would not have to pay anything up front to get them if this was Legitimate.
THIS IS A SCAM. This is a version of the advance-fee-for-something scam where something is a grant, loan, lottery winnings, interest rate reduction, gift card, refund, doggie, cruise, vacation, free gas, etc., and the advance-fee is for tax, shipping, registration, insurance, secure handling, processing, etc. They may send you a fake check, may want your credit/debit card or bank account number, or tell you to wire cash via Western Union, Moneygram, etc. They can put recurrent difficult-to-cancel monthly charges or a 1-time charge on your card or bank account, and sell account info to other criminals and you'll have to replace accounts altogether. Wired-cash is irretrievable - once it's picked up at the other end, it's untraceable and gone. If they want you to call them up for instructions, they may tell you not to discuss the wire with Western Union desk clerks but the real reason is WU clerks are familiar with these scams and will warn you not to wire the money. Report to US Postal Service Inspectors https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/MailFraudComplaint.aspx , the Federal Communications Commission http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm , the Federal Trade Commission https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ and your state AG, as appropriate.
Got a call from them twice today...I didn't answer the first time, but the second time I picked it up. Caller ID just says "New York" and then this number. Foreign male on the other end, wouldn't identify himself. Kept asking for "Kaneisha" or maybe "Taneisha"...said she left him this (my) number. When I said she doesn't have this number, he pressed me to identify myself. When I balked, he said Kaneisha had committed a crime (like the cops call you to turn yourself in!) and he really needed to speak with her. This guy really wanted my name. I finally gave him a fake name. He sounded exactly like the guy who called from "Octothorpe" in December...and that guy wanted to speak to Kaneisha also. I ended up telling that guy that my name was Santa Claus, and do you know he called back at least twice and left creepy messages on my voice mail saying things like "This message is for you, Santa Claus....ho ho ho..." Weird!
I wonder what kind of scam these guys are running.