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Earlier this week I had two suspected phone scam calls. One claimed to be from Bank of America and the other was from Discover.
I would usually not think much of these but I’ve noticed a surge in Bank and Credit card companies alerting customers to scams. I’ve been having at least one to two emails a week.
the calls
Both calls were from my local area code. They were also both automated/Robocalls. Both seemed to be sharing a recorded message.
They were classic calls offering services and requesting you to press a number to speak to a representative or support agent.
The bank of America call
The Bank of America call came from my local area code. When I answered the call it was a recorded message stating that I had been selected to take advantage of some sort of savings offer. The message requested I press 1 to speak to a rep to initiate the offer by speaking to a representative. Or press 2 to not be included in the offer.
I hung up and left it at that.
The Discover call
The call calming to be from Discover was a bit more interesting. It was what sounded like a male caller (recorded or computer voice) named Jake. Jake wanted me to once again take advantage of some savings offer being shared. I needed to press one to speak to representative.
The robocall gave you more info and then directed you again to press one.
Once again I hung up.
These are convincing
I will say for someone who might not be familiar with these types of scams the offers do sound pretty convincing. Unless you know what to listen for. For example the second (discover call) wanted me to speak to representative. Not a representative. I also noticed many of these robocalls tend to speak quickly in order to confuse who they are calling.
Or they offer vague information about the offer or possible issue with your account.
never press any numbers
I was told years ago by an AT&T tech that you should never press any numbers as directed because you don’t know where your call will be routed. You may end up with an expensive long-distance bill.
It’s always best to either listen to the message or hang up the phone.
If you do press a number
If you do press a number never give the person you speak with any of your financial details such as your account or credit card number.
when in doubt contact the company
When in doubt about these types of phone calls always contact your bank or credit card. Many offer fraud departments and you can always notify a representative or customer support agent of the call you had.
Even if you call a local branch of your bank you can alert them to the call you had and they may be able to confirm if the offer is valid or not.
Let’s get the word out and share about these scams.
