(WSPA) – A new phone scam targets potential or existing customers of DirecTV and could drain your bank account.
Jaime Kimsey in Spartanburg has been a DirecTV customer for more than a decade, and had her fair share of promotional calls.
“You never know if they’re legit or not,” said Kimsey.
It wasn’t until she became aware of the scam callers impersonating DirecTV, that she realized she may have been a target.
“They are asking me for information, like they want you to verify your account number, and I guess your address and stuff like that. But there has got to be a way that you can tell if they’re real or not real,” she said.
DirecTV says, “It’s a red flag if a customer receives a call and is then asked to verify his or her customer information.”
The company is warning people about a current scam where the callers offer a bogus DirecTV deal. You get a huge discount on your monthly bill, but the catch: You have to pay six months up front using an Amazon gift card.
Victims don’t realize they’ve been scammed until their next bill comes and there’s no credit. What’s worse, the scammers can spoof your caller ID, to make you think it’s really from DirecTV.
Sandra Lanier in Inman thinks that’s what happened to her.
“I would just flat tell them, ‘I’m not interested’ and hang up on them,” said Lanier.
“Knowing that this scam is out there and that it exists, it’s just trying to figure out who I’m talking to and knowing who I’m providing my information to,” said Kimsey.
If you feel the phone call is questionable, hang up and call DircTV to inquire about the alleged deal or discount.
