AT&T and DirecTV imposters exploit inflation rise with fake savings offer | Wallet Warning
With inflation on the rise, how many of us would be interested in saving money on our cable, internet and streaming services? Scammers know that and have taken advantage.
There have been 42 reports of this type of scam in 2022. Even more alarming is that our partners at the Better Business Bureau have taken 19 reports in the last two weeks of June with all 19 victims losing $600 each!
It starts with a voicemail that states, "I'm calling you from AT&T/DirecTV to let you know that your existing account qualifies for 50%..." The voicemail sounds completely legitimate: The phony representative offers victims all the premium channels for just $100 per month.
The fake offer is available only to their most loyal customers. They say DirectTV is making this offer to help their loyal customers during this time of inflation. The catch is you have to pay 6 months in advance using gift cards. Well, that should trigger warnings for most people because no legitimate business is going to ask for that. Here’s how they hook you, though. They can walk you through changing your programming while you are on the phone, and their caller ID says DirectTV!
Victims didn’t realize they had been scammed until their channel lineup changed. Any premium channels they had disappeared. When they call DirectTV, they find out they have been scammed. The awful part about it is there is no way to recover their money because they used gift cards.
Tips to avoid this scam include:
If you get one of these calls or texts promising a promotion, don't agree to anything over the phone. Instead, hang up, and call the number on your bill, and get the promotion in writing.
No matter what you're offered, do not buy gift cards and read the numbers off the back to anyone, as the money is drained right away and it's almost untraceable.
Never give out personal or account information to someone who calls you out of the blue. You have no way of knowing who is on the other end of the line.
I have received several of these calls myself. Just know it is a scam because of the request for gift cards which will always indicate that it is a scam. Stay vigilant as we will see MANY more scams offering bogus deals/discounts as Inflation continues to rise.
As always, our goal with Wallet Warnings is to help you safeguard your money. If you have any questions or need any additional information about anything discussed here, please call (901) 222-0206. We are happy to help you avoid scams, fraud and predatory lenders.
Regina Morrison Newman is the Shelby County Trustee
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: AT&T and DirecTV imposters exploit inflation rise with fake savings
