ROBOCALLS FROM "ACCOUNT SERVICES"

I got a call this morning from what looked like a private number. I missed it and tried to call back. I couldn't get through, but I got a call back from the private number. There was a young man on the phone wanting to know why I called him. I told him I was returning his call. The young man said he had never called me and didn't know how his number showed up on my caller ID. I had a suspicion which I shared with him.

Later in the day, I got another call which said it was from the same gentleman. I answered the call and got a pre-recorded message from somebody or other at "Account Services." The call assured me that I wasn't in trouble, but it was urgent that I stay on the line to learn how I could consolidate my credit card debt. I hung up. I don't have any credit card debt because I pay any charges off in full every month. I could be wrong, but I believe the name "Credit Card Services" is just as bogus as the camouflage phone number they used.

This little scenario has repeated itself several times recently when I received calls from "Account Services" but caller ID displayed a private number. Once or twice when I concluded that "Account Services" was using a fake number to trick me into answering the phone, I called the legitimate owner of the phone number to let them know that I believed a scammer had hijacked their number to use as a disguise. (I don't answer calls from 800 numbers. 90%+ of them are robocalls, and the legitimate callers leave messages which I promptly return).

A couple of times I have waited through "Account Services'" pre-recorded spiel and spoken to a live person. When I cut their sales pitch off and tell them that I want to be put on their DO NOT CALL list, the live person immediately hangs up. I don't think that they put my number on the DO NOT CALL list, because "Account Services" keeps on calling. There's no use reporting this to the authorities because they want to know who was calling and the number they called from. They can't go very far with a fake number and a fake identity. It's frustrating, especially when the calls are burning up my cellphone minutes.

President Trump recently made a scatological reference to countries from which he didn't want immigrants. Although I wouldn't dream of applying such a description to people trying to better their lives by moving to America, I think Trump's term perfectly fits the tactics of "Account Services." I certainly wish that the 5H17holes at "Account Services" would quit calling me.

CORRECTION: When I wrote this I was so angry about the recent call that I misremembered the name of the alleged scammer. It's "Account Services," not "Credit Card Services." I no sooner got through posting this blog than I got another call from "Account Services."