scammers 888-239-8570 help?

[Vern_in_IL]

I was going to call to activate my new card, and miss dialed the numbers, I got on the phone 'YOU HAVE WON A $100 DOLLAR VISA GIFT CARD" and I continued and gave them the info on my new inactivated card! So now what? Called bank and requested new card number. Any advice? The scammers got my inactivated card details and my address. The "100 dollar gift card" cost $4.xx to ship. I called the bank 15 minutes after I got off the phone with the scam.

 

[LoneRanger]

Just report that card number lost/stolen on your bank's 24 hr phone number. They'll deactivate it asap and give you another.

 

[JHZR2]

Not sure why you didn't hang up and try again.

 

[gathermewool]

Trolling? No way this is real! You got a spam answer and you gave them your info!? Not going to lie - that's pretty dumb, man! Activating new cards is as simple as calling the number and going through some prompts - no sensitive info is shared. // Conversely, I got a very official-looking letter from Amex saying they had some security concerns and that future charges may be denied if I don't call them. I called the number, but they started off by asking a bunch of sensitive questions without providing answers to any of my questions, such as why I might be calling and the date of any purchase that might have been flagged, so I could try to correlate it to something legit on my end (good in a way, since I could have been anyone; bad, because I wasn't going to answer questions for some stranger.) Anyway, I chatted online, after signing in to my account, to verify the number was the number for their fraud line. You've really got to do your due diligence and if the prompt you hear doesn't sound right when you connect, then you need to hang up and check again.

 

[Vern_in_IL]

Well if they do get any money, how can I dispute it? They got me recorded saying "yes" to their offers. Anything comes in the mail, I'm going to return to sender. Yeah it was dumb, but I thought I was on the right number.... I'm like meh don't want my gift card...lets get to activation. I almost fell for the FBI ransomware a few years ago(the kind that did NOT encrypt your hard drive)

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted By: Vern_in_IL

Well if they do get any money, how can I dispute it? They got me recorded saying "yes" to their offers. Anything comes in the mail, I'm going to return to sender. Yeah it was dumb, but I thought I was on the right number.... I'm like meh don't want my gift card...lets get to activation. I almost fell for the FBI ransomware a few years ago(the kind that did NOT encrypt your hard drive)

You should activate your cards online from now on. There's usually a 1-800 number and a website (the website you always use to sign in) listed. Every time I've called to activate a card, it has either required me to select a few automated responses (press 1, press 2-type of thing) or enter my card number and then do the same. I have never once spoken to a person in order to activate a card. I honestly don't know how people fall for these kinds of things. They're so incredibly obvious, that it's painful to hear about. I wouldn't be so harsh normally, but I don't want you or anyone to think that falling for this kind of thing should be considered normal, or that it couldn't screw your life up if you treat it so non-nonchalantly. Err on the side of caution and NEVER TRUST ANYONE. If you receive an email, text or phone call, verify the information by your normal method. If any of these things tell you something is wrong, then confirm by those normal methods. In other words, if you receive a phone call or dial the wrong number and something is asked of you or conveyed to you that is not 100% in line with what you think, then hang up. Go online, check your contacts, re-read the number listed on the credit card, whatever. Also, as most companies try to include in pretty much every correspondence, they will NEVER ask you for your password or other sensitive information via email.

 

[Andrew1972]

They have an address and an <span style="font-weight: bold">I N A C T I V A T E D</span> card number. They cannot charge to said card for obvious reasons.....

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted By: madRiver

They have an address and an I N A C T I V A T E D card number. They cannot charge to said card for obvious reasons.....

Absolutely. Still, I'd freeze my credit, just in case.