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The Kitchen Table

Possible phone scam - has anyone had one of these?

9 years ago

I just received a call on my cell phone. It was a recorded message and said something to the effect of: some department "has received several complaints about your social security number" and wanted me to press some numbers to go to some department. I am pretty positive this is a scam of some sort, though I couldn't seem to find anything on Google based on the little bit of information that I had. When I searched on the originating phone number, 616 284 1691, White Pages reverse lookup said it was Bandwidth.com VoIP in Grand Rapids, MI.

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Comments (14)

joyfulguy
9 years ago
Physhing - want your personal data for identity theft.

"Bull-(barnyard by-product) ...

... is a double four letter word.

Or ... screwing up your operating system on your computer ... or taking it over and using it to send out a couple of million crappy messages.

Trash heap's the proper place for it.

Too bad so many people have to abuse wonderful systems so deeply.

ole joyful
kris_zone6
9 years ago
It is not a possible phone scam, it is absolutely a phone scam. Delete it and have a good day.
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joan_mn
9 years ago
I agree. No way Social Security would contact you by cell phone. Or even a landline phone, I'm sure only by letter.
rob333 (zone 7b)
9 years ago
That's interesting wording though. Complaints about a social security number? Clever, but incredibly odd! Got your attention. Just what they were after. Shame on them.
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
9 years ago
scam for sure. I hate it that they are now attacking our cell phones too. Never dial any numbers they ask you to, in some cases that opens a line that then bills the calls to your phone and they can call any where in the world.
golfergrrl
9 years ago
Scam
angelaid
9 years ago
We're getting them up here too. Police just issued a warning about it a couple of days ago in the press.
heather_on
9 years ago
Scams are rampant these days. I can't tell you how many emails I receive from PayPal, eBay and Amazon saying my account is limited or discontinued unless I respond to their email with password information etc. and did you know Microsoft people have determined that my computer is seriously infected and they will solve the problem for me if I will only let them into it? Don't get me started on Green Planet and their scam with water heaters.
dedtired
9 years ago
May not work on cell phones, but if you can, sign up for Nomorobo.com It does not work on every phone service, just Voip, I think. It has reduced my nuisance calls a lot and also saves me from running to answer since robo calls are diverted after one ring.

Here is a link that might be useful: article about nomorobo
marie_ndcal
9 years ago
When a merchant or anyone else asks for my cell phone, I tell them either I don't have one, or you don't need it. Even when I registered a new CC, I would not give them the number. The only one who has it is my medical service and my kids. So I get very few calls.
User
9 years ago
Giving out your number isn't the problem. They use auto-dialers, they just go down the list. I have 2 cell phones and home line listed with Do not call. When I get a number I don't recognize, I don't answer. I can then use the info saved by phone logs, to enter that info on Do Not call.gov and turn them in. I got a call at 5 to 7 in the morning, didn't have my glasses on, so I answered it. Robo call in Spanish. will add that one when I go to Do Not Call. I wait a week, and add several calls a week. I read somewhere, it's better to not answer if you don't recognize the call number, they will not keep calling a number that doesn't answer.
juliaschott
9 years ago
Sounds like a scam indeed. Thanks for the info!
juliaschott
9 years ago
By the way, I Googled the phone scam and several phone numbers came up at http://www.callercenter.com that were reportedly used to perpetrate the scam. I suggest you guys check out the page, too.
chisue
9 years ago
We should start posting the 'inventive' phone scams we receive!

I got a new one last week: Did you know that seniors are entitled to $3000 in food coupons from the 'government'? Why, you can use them in stores all across the country! All I had to do was provide a little information so 'they' could mail me my stamps, and...I'd get a medical alert bracelet too!

Yeah. Right. LOL

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