FCC Alerts Consumers to Calling Scams Making False Credit Card Financial Offers
The FCC warned consumers to be on guard against credit card calling scams involving false offers of lower payments or interest rates, debt relief or improved credit scores. The scammers are active after the holidays when consumers carry more debt,…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
said the commission, noting it received increasing consumer complaints about parties offering debt relief or refinancing opportunities to reduce account balances or interest rates. "Some of these callers falsely claim to be monitoring the consumer’s credit or loan payment history," said an agency alert Tuesday. "The victim is illegally asked for credit card numbers or personally identifiable information in false attempts to 'help,' then is threatened, harassed, or intimidated if they refuse to comply with the scammer’s demands. These scammers then attempt to use the account information to make unauthorized purchases or access funds for fraudulent purposes." The alert offered various tips, including to take down the phone numbers of scam calls, join the Do Not Call registry to block telemarketing calls, pursue robocall-blocking solutions, and file complaints with the FCC, FTC, local police and other authorities.