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Watch Out for Bogus Phone and Online Surveys
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Scams & Fraud
Watch Out for Bogus Phone and Online Surveys
<font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="1"><div>Learn what are the lastest list of scams and how you can prevent your identity from being stolen. Protect yourself from scams, whether they be phone scams, online scams or in-person.&nbsp;</div></font>
There are three new types of survey subterfuge out there, both over the phone and online. (See our article, " A Survey Con Can Cost You Big .") In one, a caller offers to install free software on your
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Cat:827966ee-6d39-4ef7-98a5-0157a43092f8Forum:b90a5c24-5453-42fa-b1f5-851b8a98e4aa
Cat:827966ee-6d39-4ef7-98a5-0157a43092f8Forum:b90a5c24-5453-42fa-b1f5-851b8a98e4aaDiscussion:4310e045-57a0-4083-87dc-5c03024abb49

Forums » Money » Scams & Fraud » Watch Out for Bogus Phone and Online Surveys

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Forums  »  Money  »  Scams & Fraud  »  Watch Out for Bogus Phone and Online Surveys

A simple solution to a serious problem

posted at August 15, 2012 12:07 PM EDT
Posts: 2
First: August 15, 2012
Last: April 30, 2013
I use Phone Tray Free. It blocks all kinds of calls. My phone almost never rings any more. It takes some configuring so do the research. There is also a forum for answering questions about the how to configure the program. It is free for always on connections. Paid, for dial-up type connections. The free version will be discontined on Sept. 15th.
http://www.phonetray.com/ptfree_download.htm
It will solve all you phony calls.
TomSealed

Re: Watch Out for Bogus Phone and Online Surveys

posted at August 15, 2012 12:38 PM EDT
Posts: 1
First: August 15, 2012
Last: August 15, 2012
The thing to do is just hang up on them.  Don't listen to them or talk to them.

Re: Watch Out for Bogus Phone and Online Surveys

posted at August 15, 2012 12:52 PM EDT
Posts: 2
First: April 6, 2012
Last: August 15, 2012
At least 2 to 3 times a week,  I get e-mail from those trying to scam me  by using banks ( ones I don't have accounts with), other countries and even from the company I get for my computer ( Cox Comm). If I'm not sure  the e--mails I get are legitimate, I call the companies themselves.  Or, I make a copy of the e-mail and send it to the attorney general. I've even had one tell me to give them all my personal information, including my mother's maiden name. What nerve!!!!! I would like to send them something back telling them where they can go. There is a row of different things you can click on at the beginning of your emails as,  such  "reply"," forward", and others,  also " Spam" that's where all those bogus e-mails go.

Re: Watch Out for Bogus Phone and Online Surveys

posted at August 15, 2012 2:05 PM EDT
Posts: 3
First: August 15, 2012
Last: April 23, 2013
I continually get innundated with these calls.  I now check my caller ID before answering, and I simply immediately hang up on any calls that show uinfamiliar numbers, "unavailable" numbers or 1-800-service.  I only answer calls that show a familiar name and phone number.  This also eliminates the calls from chimney cleaners, driveway sealers, charity fund raisers, political campaign workers, bill collection services, and other nefarious scum. Anyone I want to talk to knows how to reach me.  The government "Do Not Call List" is a total farce.  When unfamilar people come to my house they are greeted at the door with me holding a fully loaded, cocked .45 automatic with the safety off and a hollow-nose bullet in the chamber, then I let the growling pit bulls at my side do my talking for me.

Re: Watch Out for Bogus Phone and Online Surveys

posted at August 15, 2012 2:19 PM EDT
Posts: 1
First: August 15, 2012
Last: August 15, 2012
Why would anyone give out ANY information to a complete stranger calling from an anonymous telephone number?  I don't even verify factual information that they already have.  Just tell the low-life theives that you do not give out any information over the phone to anyone____ and then don't.

Re: Watch Out for Bogus Phone and Online Surveys

posted at August 15, 2012 2:30 PM EDT
Posts: 2
First: December 5, 2009
Last: August 15, 2012

I’ve received several emails purporting to be from variations on the Obama campaign with trips to Bermuda, lunch with Michelle and a free trip to the Democrat convention.  They wrote the wrong person!  With all the funds the Obama administration has stolen from Social Security (withholding tax breaks) and the $700,000,000 he is He** bent for leather to steal from Medicare to pay for obamacare:  THE’RE CONTACTING THE WRONG DUDE!

Re: Watch Out for Bogus Phone and Online Surveys

posted at August 15, 2012 3:20 PM EDT
Posts: 1
First: August 15, 2012
Last: August 15, 2012
In Response to Re: Watch Out for Bogus Phone and Online Surveys:
The latest one I've had is a phone call saying they can lower my credit card interest rate. They don't know what credit cards I have and they don't know that I don't carry a balance. I have asked them to remove my name from their call list to no avail. I am also on the government no-call list for all the good that does.
Posted by webb22851
As for the phone calls, make sure you have a phone with CALLER ID and when you see a phone number that looks strange and unknown to you just don't answer the call. Easy! If you don't give the caller an oportunity to speak to you, they cannot trap you. As for the internet and bogus surveys you need to really be extra careful and do not deal with any unknown companies proclaiming easy money for your time and answers. Those are probably scams. I was a victim last year and to the best of my knowledge the investigators never caught the person(s). They stole my e-mail address & password. Then they proceeded to send out e-mails to people on my mailing list asking for $$$$$.
I had no way of accessing my account to fix it. I ended up erasing everything from the harddrive and having the computer rebuilt. BE AWARE! BE CAREFUL!!

Re: Watch Out for Bogus Phone and Online Surveys

posted at August 15, 2012 3:44 PM EDT
Posts: 1
First: August 15, 2012
Last: August 15, 2012
I have received numerous calls saying they can lower my interest rates. It gives you opt 1 to get more info or 9 to be removed from their list. I press 9 but get the same call from another number later.
There is another that offer you a free security system if you let them  put a sign in your yard.
I have called some of these numbers back the next day only to get a message that this is not a working number.
I have also reported them to the "Do Not Call" resgistry.
It looks like they use a number for a few days then switch to another number.

Re: Watch Out for Bogus Phone and Online Surveys

posted at August 16, 2012 8:37 AM EDT
Posts: 8
First: December 3, 2011
Last: April 24, 2013
I use two phone resources to stop bogus surveys. First, I watch my caller ID. Second I then use "call blocking". It these also work for robo calls and phone solicitors.

Re: Watch Out for Bogus Phone and Online Surveys

posted at August 17, 2012 1:22 AM EDT
Posts: 1
First: August 17, 2012
Last: August 17, 2012
I got a phone call and I thougth it was a good idea to have a company pay off my bills, I am a widow and I was getting behind and we had some debt. Well, they charged me $1200 to pay the bills, and it was supposed to be over a 4 year period......I still thought, okay, it will all work out.....they were late with payments, caused me some trouble, they kept saying there was a computer glitch....this went on and on. Well, after a year of this I thought I would call a few of my creditors and I found that I could have a lower interest rate and pay off my bills! They would just deal with me! I didn't know I could do that. I quit the company and have paid better payments than they had and am finally getting some where.....so don't think you can't do all this yourself, because you can. You can get out of debt, and you can talk with the creditors. They will deal with you.
You don't need some outside company. Wish I had my $1200 back to pay against those bills!
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Forums » Money » Scams & Fraud » Watch Out for Bogus Phone and Online Surveys