Major holiday scam involving Florida telemarketers

GomerPyle

I'll probably regret starting this off but this is such a major problem it has to be broadcast far and wide.

The first you get is a call from a person in the USA who tells you that you have won a prize.

Isn't that great ?

They work you up to great excitement telling you how great it will be, then they mention you have to pay a small registration fee of two ninety nine and ask for your credit card details. Of course if you hand over your card details, you will discover you were charged with US$299.00

The amounts vary and sometimes you'll be charged multiple amounts, even going so far as to take every penny you've got.

The scripts they use vary, but the intent is to get you to divulge your credit card details, There are multiple companies using this scam. I am compiling a dossier on them and intend to send it to the US authorities when I've finished.

This is how one person relates the call went.

http://www.mikelawton.com/blog/tag/scam/

QUOTE

So I get a phone call last night. Asking for Chrystal, but happy to talk to me. Probably should have been my first warning.

So this guy (Nick from Georgia!) tells me “congratulations!!” Apparently Chrystal ‘won’ a fantastic vacation package to Orlando. Sponsored by Universal Studios; 7 days at a resort near all the attractions, full-access passes, rental car with unlimited mileage, then 4 more days on Daytona Beach. Chrystal and I and two more people at no extra cost! Of course I’m doubtful, but Nick starts rattling off all kinds of info: Chrystal’s email, birthday, home address. Hm. Not asking me for anything, just giving me a bunch of info, and telling me the package is in the mail, just make sure to send him a postcard!

Cost?

Oh there’s no charge for the accommodations or car, but there is a “registration fee” of $199 per person. Not that unreasonable, I guess. Nick keeps talking about sending us the info package, doesn’t ask me for anything, I’m starting to think this might be legit, I’m actually getting a little excited about everything… then I get transferred to the “shipping department”.

Now I’m talking to “Tony”. Robo-caller extraordinaire. He starts fast-talking about how they’re a very upstanding respectable company and I have nothing to worry about and they work with Universal Studios and I’ve heard of Universal Studios and if they work with Universal Studios then they must be totally legitimate and he’s confirmed that Chrystal has a Visa and it’s a 16-digit number and it starts with a 4 and if I could just read the rest of the number…

Woah. Wait. Stop. Excuse me?

“Yes I see Chrystal has a valid Visa card, it’s a 16 digit number starting with a 4.”

(At this point you’re probably thinking the same thing I am: “What the heck was in that Jamaican meat patty I just ate? Also, isn’t every Visa number 16 digits starting with a 4?”)

Also also, Chrystal doesn’t have a Visa. Red flag on the play, this one’s done. But my curiosity’s been peaked, so I’m going to drag this out a bit longer.

I tell “Tony” that I’m not comfortable giving out my girlfriend’s credit card number over the phone, is there some way they could send the info package and I’ll call back?

“We’re a perfectly legitimate company sponsored by blah blah blah… I see Chrystal has a Mastercard 16 digits starting with a 5…”

I tell him again that I’m not giving out her credit card number, do they have a phone number that I could call them back? Nope, I can’t call back without a confirmation number but they can’t give me a confirmation number until they have the credit card number because blah blah blah and what’s her Mastercard number 16 digits starting with a 5…?

At this point he’s repeated the same word-for-word script to me at least 3 times, even using some of the exact phrases that my old buddy “Nick” fed me. I’m tired of this guy now so I ask him for the name of his company. “We work with Universal Studios…” Shaddup. This is obviously a scam, what’s the name of YOUR company??

He finally mumbles out “E Tour and Travel” before I hang up, disappointed but at least relatively confident that I made the right choice here. Chrystal might have been a teensy bit upset if she came home and found out I gave her credit card info to someone over the phone.

A quick Google shows me that E Tour and Travel is some kind of super-aggressive somewhat shady looking outfit that sells timeshares (that part was never mentioned to me). Their marketing tactics are at best borderline illegal, so even if this offer (not a “prize”) was completely legit, I’m still pretty glad to not have fallen for it. To be fair, it looks like even though there’s been a ton of complaints against them, they have resolved or “made every effort to resolve” nearly all of them (according to the BBB).

I don’t think it’s that much of a stretch to say that **NO** reputable business is going to call you at night and ask for your credit card number…
UNQUOTE

It appears to have mainly been aimed at Canadians but I have seen that UK citizens have become victims too.

Of course the rule is NEVE EVER give your credit card deails to a stranger who rings you up out of the blue, but these people are like sharks and use carefully written scripts that are designed to snare you, and they have been quite successful.

It's tricky to keep tabs on all the companies involved, and many aren't anything more than a person with a phone, but I'll endeavour to provide a list of as many of those involved as I can with links to other forums where they have been exposed.

Like the Winter Wonderland debacle in Brighton last year, these scams wouldn't be possible if banks didn't allow Merchant Trader Facilities to be abused by disreputable people.

I'll post more info later.

Incapuppy

Gosh, can we look forward to another 212 posts on the same subject like you posted about the last scam you investigated? I'll stock up with some tea and biscuits!

costapkt

Only 211 posts to go.
In case anyone is daft enough to give account details over the phone
DO NOT DO IT Simple.

GomerPyle

You're correct costapkt but I deal a lot with people who have been duped by online Romanc Scammers, Fake Job Scammers and the like. That's the main area I get involved in, and I try to help where I can.

Internet scammers are everywhere and contact people who put stuff up for sale online to perform the counterfeit cheque overpayment scam or offer fictitious apartments for rent.

I may be a little more worldly wise than many, but my desire is to help victims and thwart scammers. Some victims are impossible to help, and some are incautious, but I prefer to educate and put scammers out of business if I can.

Most of the information I hold, I can't post here, but it will go to law enforcement. In the mean time I'd like to publicise the risks and dangers of getting hooked by these people.

I'm amazed that Florida has allowed these people to flourish because I wouldn't trust any travel agent from that part of the world after what I've seen. It makes our industry look marvellous, though I know it's not perfect.

It's not as if these 'companies' don't have a lot of mention over the internet already, but one of their tactics is to bamboozle and confuse with similar sounding generic names. Including the word 'Universal' in their name appears a favourite ruse.

I'll post cautiously, just to ensure that there are warnings online for UK people to find. I have seen some of these companies advertising for staff, so they're preparing for a big push.

Believe me - life would be easier if I ignored these people, though I can'y deny I get satisfaction from taking them on.

whitewing

Hey Gomer,

Good to 'see' you again.

Is there any recourse through Visa Chargebacks or even Mastercard Chargebacks (would US law apply) if people do get scammed?

Bob_the_Saver

If someone you are not familiar with phones you and tries to sell you something or tell you you've won something just repeat the following two words "F**k *ff.
You could try no thank you first, but I find my method much faster.

Problem solved

PS. I can report effective results using this method with doorstep cold callers as well.

foxy-roxy

I think it's great that you are giving up so much of your time warning people of scams out there, i know most of them are pretty obvious and most people won't fall for them, but some people will, so i suppose if it stops just one person losing their money then you have done a good job.

GlennTheBaker

I wish I'd read this thread an hour ago. I've just given my credit card number, address and inside leg measurement to someone who told me I'd won a holiday.

Bob_the_Saver

GlennTheBaker wrote: »

I wish I'd read this thread an hour ago. I've just given my credit card number, address and inside leg measurement to someone who told me I'd won a holiday.

Not commenting on you in particular, but just out of interest what was is about this particular call that made you do that?

GlennTheBaker

Must have been the jolly banter.

GomerPyle

I hope you're jesting GlennTheBaker

The only effective way to attempt to get your money back is by ringing your card company immediately, but you'll find these people run your card details through within minutes.

They also record calls and use the fact that you gave your card details as the argument to attempt to defeat your chargeback attempt. Of course the call is edited to miss out their misrepresentation.

I'm looking for victms to advise me from their statements who the money went to, as I suspect it's not the dummy front companies they say they represent. I think I know who they are but need confirmation to be sure.

I'll post the names of companies involved later and hope I can get some replies. I'll also include links to complaints forums to show that I'm not making this up.

In a way whitewing I hope this matter goes away, as it's going to be a real pain to handle.