201-459-0000

[sabotai]

I recently started getting calls from this number: 201-459-000. The first time I answered, they hung up. They have called a few times since and I am told that they called to tell me I won something. Pfft, telemarketers at it again...then I thought, if it was a telemarketer, should it come up as "Unknown"...and aren't I on government "do not call" lists...what's with the weird number? So I did some research.

What I found out was that others have gotten calls from this number too. And it's not just everyday telemarketers. Apparently it's a telemarketing scam similar to Nigerian e-mail scam. They tell you that you've won some money, but they need a little up front to cover some BS charge or whatnot. Sometimes you give them your CC number and you're out a couple hundred bucks, other times they try to get you to give them your bank information. Then, of course, you're out of luck big time.

Another tidbit I found out is that it might be a symptom of outsourcing (and I'm not just throwing that out. I'm not one of these big liberal anti-outsourcing guys). A lot of cell phone users have been getting calls from that number too. Apparently, cell phone companies outsource work to India, and then those India firms sell the contact information to these scammers. And then cell phone users get bombarded with calls.

I wonder how they got ahold of a defunct New Jersey pay phone number as their caller ID number. Weird.

Anyway, just a heads up to everyone. If you see that number on your caller ID, don't answer. Or answer and give them hell. Whichever works best.

[Loren]

the man got a call like this a while ago on his cell phone, it was some Florida number...they told him he won something due to him being a loyalcustomer at our bank but then they wanted his address to mail him some information and he figured it was a bunch of crap if he'd won due to being a customer then they should have known his bank name and address...BUTT yesterday he got a letter from a company in florida saying he'd won a sweepstakes and he needed to call, so I dunno if its real or not...my mom got something like this several years back, it seemed wierd like this but after a few calls she was told shed won a fur coat, she just had to drive 2 hours and pay taxes on it...not sure if his is a scam or not

[gottimd]

867-5309 keeps showing up on mine.

[DanGarion]

that number is no longer in service.

[Raiders Army]

1-EAT-SHIT-ANDI keeps on coming up on my caller ID....should I be worried as well?

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by Loren

the man got a call like this a while ago on his cell phone, it was some Florida number...they told him he won something due to him being a loyalcustomer at our bank but then they wanted his address to mail him some information and he figured it was a bunch of crap if he'd won due to being a customer then they should have known his bank name and address...BUTT yesterday he got a letter from a company in florida saying he'd won a sweepstakes and he needed to call, so I dunno if its real or not...my mom got something like this several years back, it seemed wierd like this but after a few calls she was told shed won a fur coat, she just had to drive 2 hours and pay taxes on it...not sure if his is a scam or not

I got a few of those awhile back too. For awhile, I kept getting these "You've won, we need you to call" things in the mail. I called back once....yeah, it was a scam. It's nice to think we would win something and not know it, but chances are if you don't remember entering a contest to win something, you didn't.

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by dangarion

that number is no longer in service.

Yeah, I know. I tried calling it. But somehow, at 5:54PM today, I got a call with that showing up on the caller ID.

[BigJohn&TheLions]

Originally Posted by gottimd

867-5309 keeps showing up on mine.

Whoever it is just tell them "I got your number!"

The number I keep getting is 777-9311

[RendeR]

Originally Posted by Loren

the man got a call like this a while ago on his cell phone, it was some Florida number...they told him he won something due to him being a loyalcustomer at our bank but then they wanted his address to mail him some information and he figured it was a bunch of crap if he'd won due to being a customer then they should have known his bank name and address...BUTT yesterday he got a letter from a company in florida saying he'd won a sweepstakes and he needed to call, so I dunno if its real or not...my mom got something like this several years back, it seemed wierd like this but after a few calls she was told shed won a fur coat, she just had to drive 2 hours and pay taxes on it...not sure if his is a scam or not

These are always scams, what happens is they set their return call number up to appear as a standard phone number, but in fact its a typical 900 number that charges you 10 bucks to connect and 2 bucks a minute while you listen to a 30 minute recorded message and get trapped in a run-a-round menu cycle.

[Celeval]

Originally Posted by gottimd

867-5309 keeps showing up on mine.

I saw that number on a wall.

[RendeR]

Who can I turn to?

[WSUCougar]

For a good time, call.

[Bee]

Originally Posted by sabotai

I wonder how they got ahold of a defunct New Jersey pay phone number as their caller ID number. Weird.

There are ways they can fake what phone number a call originates. I've recently started getting calls from 1-111-111-1111. When I did a little research I found out that there are programs that these scam artists can use that allow them to fake the originating number.