Wanted to help me lower my credit card payments. I don't have a credit card. It was a real voice.

Left a voice mail and when I returned the call they said it was a wrong number, but a great coincidence, asked if I wanted to lower interest rates.

Very conversational-sounding voice wanting to help me lower my payments. Creepy.

too funny. message giving me my last "courtesy call" to lower the rates on my credit card since I've only been making monthly payments.  Considering that I don't use credit cards anymore its obviously a scam.

I just received the same call! I called it back and told her filed bankruptcy a month ago and she took my number and took me off the list!

I just had a voicemail left from Tina Stevens saying that since I have only been making the minumum minimum monthly payments that they can reduce my interest rate to 1.5% and that this was my last courtesy call.

I felt sorry for whoever she may have been calling because it was obviously a wrong number and the was "the last courtesty call".  And now I read the other posts.  Oh well, that explains why they left a message on the number they did since it is a special purpose, unlisted, business number.

By the way, my system showed the following information for this call:

Marble Hill MO

(573) 238-4749

I just got the same call about a credit card ( which I don't have ).. telling me it's the " last courtesy call " as well.  My caller id showed 314.241.6001 but she left a v-mail stating to call 877.442.8079.

received a call fromt his number stating she wanted to help me lower my payments

I got the same message and so did a coworker. I called and asked what company they work for and where they are headquartered. I was told the company is Debt Release, but nothing more. When I asked for more information several operators hung up on me. I keep calling them with the phone on mute just to tie up the lines. There seems to be just a handful of operators at the number I got. Hilarious.

Wow... same as all blw comments. This is rediculous. Someone needs to stop them!

HUGE SCAM - VIOLATING A COURT ORDER TO STOP CALLING - REPORT TO FTC IMMEDIATELY

They cannot do anything for you for a HUGE UPFRONT FEE that you cannot do yourself for FREE.
If your credit card company will not reduce when YOU ASK THEM - they will not reduce it FOR THESE SCAMMERS EITHER!  

ARTICLES ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS SCAM!  

BBB, Schumer Warn Consumers of Robocalls Promising to Lower Their Credit Card Interest Rate
Arlington, VA ? June 10, 2009 - Consumers across the U.S. and Canada are sounding off to Better Business Bureau and U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) about incessant automated telemarketing calls promising to lower interest rates on their credit cards.  Not only are the calls a nuisance and violate U.S. and Canadian Do-Not-Call laws, but some companies behind the calls are ripping off consumers by charging large up-front fees to negotiate lower interest rates with credit card companies?something consumers can do on their own for free.
According to figures cited by the White House in January, credit-card debt increased 25 percent in the past 10 years, totaling $963 billion ? with per household credit card debt at nearly $9,000 now. Knowing that so many families are drowning in debt, telemarketers offering suspect financial assistance are taking full advantage of the situation. Consumers have reported receiving calls as early as three in the morning and on both their cell and home phones even when they have registered the numbers with federal Do-Not-Call lists. Consumers also tell BBB that, despite their requests to the telemarketers to stop calling, the calls continue to come.  
?Similar to telemarketing calls claiming your auto warranty is expiring, calls offering to lower credit card interest rates also seem to have complete disregard for federal laws,? said Steve Cox, BBB spokesperson. ?These telemarketers are not forthcoming about the company they?re calling on behalf of, but BBB has identified some offenders by working with consumers who, unfortunately, paid for assistance in reducing their interest rate.?
?Cell phone spam may not be the biggest problem we have to deal with, but we got the FTC to shut down the car-warranty robocalls and now it?s time they shut down the other robocallers as well,? Schumer said. ?These calls cost consumers hundreds in wasted cell phone minutes or much, much more if they get caught in the trap being laid by these unscrupulous companies. The perpetrators behind the credit card interest rate calls have also found a way around the Do Not Call List. The FTC has to track them down and then shut them down to put an end to this nuisance once and for all.?

BBB has received numerous complaints about two Orlando-based companies, CSTR Solutions, Inc. and Genesis Capital Management, and one Tacoma-based company, Mutual Consolidated Savings. All are behind at least some of the robocalls and are promising to save people anywhere from $2,000 to $25,000 by negotiating lower interest rates with credit card companies.
Robocalls generally begin with recorded messages that include statements like: ?There are no problems currently with your account, however it is urgent that you contact us concerning your eligibility for lowering your interest rates to as little as 6 point 9 per cent.? or, ?This is our final attempt to reach you since you've not responded to our other calls to discuss your credit card debt.? The automated message invariably does not include the name of the company, but may claim to be with Card Services or Card Holder Services. Complainants note to BBB that they now believe the calls were designed to deceive them into thinking their credit card company was contacting them.
After the initial recorded message, consumers must dial another number to be connected to a live person. The live ?operator? usually starts the sales pitch by asking for the consumer?s credit card number and whether the consumer is interested in lowering their interest rates. From there, callers begin closing the sale, asking if the consumer is willing to pay ? usually from $700 to $1,000 - to have their firm contact the credit card company and negotiate lower rates.  
?The ?negotiation? undertaken by these companies can be as simple as calling the customer service number listed on the back of the consumer?s credit card and asking a customer service representative to lower the interest rate,? added Cox. ?Consumers are fully capable of talking to credit card companies on their own, for free, and getting similar results. Consumers simply don?t need to pay any company a thousand dollars to negotiate lower rates on their behalf.?
According to BBB complaints, companies are failing to uphold money-back guarantees and not refunding money in cases where they are unsuccessful in lowering rates.
BBB offers the following advice for consumers who receive robocalls from companies offering to lower their interest rate:
? Never give personal information, including Social Security, bank or credit card numbers, over the phone to an unknown telemarketer. Always research the company first by reviewing its Reliability Report at www.bbb.org.
? When considering any company offering any type of financial assistance, insist on getting a contract in which all terms and conditions are clearly explained before signing up or providing credit card or other payment information.
? U.S. consumers can place their home phone number on the federal Do Not Call list by visiting www.donotcall.gov. If the consumer?s number is already on the list but continues to receive telemarketing calls?or is receiving robocalls on a cell phone?he or she can use the same Web site to report the incident to the FTC. Canadian consumers can learn more at www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca.
For more information or to schedule an interview with a BBB spokesperson, contact Alison Southwick at 703-247-9376.


Credit Card Rate Reduction Scammers Banned From Telemarketing
Canadian firm ordered to pay $7.8 million fine


July 13, 2009
A federal judge has slapped a telemarketing ban on a Canadian outfit that targeted U.S. consumers with false claims that it could reduce their credit card interest rates.
At the request of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the court entered a permanent injunction that puts the defendants out of the telemarketing business. It also bars them from misrepresenting that they are affiliated with consumers' credit card companies, or that they can get consumers' credit card interest rates reduced.
The court also ordered the defendants to pay more than $7.8 million.
According to the FTC's complaint, the telemarketing operation cheated about 12,000 consumers out of more than $7.8 million between 2005 and 2007 by falsely claiming that it could substantially reduce consumers' existing credit card interest rates and save them thousands of dollars in interest and finance charges.
The defendants are Select Personnel Management Inc., based in Ontario, doing business as Select Management Solutions Canada; 1402473 Ontario Limited; 1489841 Ontario Limited; 2105635 Ontario Limited; Special T Services Group Inc.; United Registration Services Inc., as well as individual defendants James Stewart, Luigi Paulozza, and Philip J. Richards.
The FTC charges that they stated or implied--falsely--that they were affiliated with consumers' credit card companies. For $675 plus $20 for shipping and handling, according to the complaint, the defendants sent consumers promotional materials with promises to substantially reduce their interest rates, and a "financial profile form" for them to complete and mail back.
The complaint states the defendants promised to reduce the interest charged on credit cards to rates between 4.75 percent and 9 percent, save consumers at least $2,500, and refund the cost of their services to consumers who did not save at least that much money.
In fact, according to the FTC, the operators of the scam did little more than add their own fee to consumers' credit card balances. The extent of the rate-reduction services consisted of setting up three-way telephone calls with consumers and their credit card companies, and asking that the companies lower the interest rates. Those requests typically were denied.
The FTC said the defendants' misrepresentations violated the FTC Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR). The agency also charged the defendants with violating the TSR by "spoofing" telephone numbers so that their calls appeared on consumers' caller identification services as coming from another number, and by failing to provide the names of the defendants or their telemarketer on caller identification services.



http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/07 ... am.html#ixzz0LA


FTC Goes After Credit Card Robocall Scammers
Offers of interest-rate reduction claims targeted


December 11, 2009


The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is widening its campaign against telemarketers who violated the Do Not Call Rule and other laws by making hundreds of thousands or even millions of recorded robocalls to consumers.
This latest effort targets three groups that allegedly made robocalls to sell worthless credit-card interest-rate reduction programs for hefty up-front fees of as much as $1,495. The court has issued an order temporarily halting the robocalls pending trial.
"The FTC has heard the public outcry against robocalls and has taken swift action to stop them. During these difficult economic times, the last thing anyone needs is to be bombarded by robocalls pitching worthless interest-rate reduction programs," said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz.
The three complaints follow two filed in May that led to court orders stopping other telemarketers from using robocalls with deceptive claims aboutextended auto warranties. Since September 1, 2009, virtually all robocalls have been illegal, unless the recipients have provided written authorization to receive the pre-recorded calls.
According to the three FTC complaints, Economic Relief Technologies, LLC, Dynamic Financial Group (U.S.A.) Inc., and JPM Accelerated Services (JPM) and related defendants made illegal pre-recorded robocalls to consumers, using names like "card services," "credit card services" or "account services."
The robocalls allegedly claimed the companies' services could lower the interest rate on consumers' credit cards. In each case, consumers who pressed 1 after hearing the automated call were transferred to live telemarketers who allegedly misrepresented that consumers could dramatically lower the rates on their credit card.
The telemarketers also said consumers would save thousands of dollars in a short period of time by lowering their interest rates and would be able to pay off their debts faster -- for an up-front fee ranging from $495 to $1,495. They then falsely stated that if consumers did not save a "guaranteed" amount -- typically $2,500 or more -- they could get a full refund of the up-front fee.
However, after securing the fee, the defendants allegedly did not negotiate lower rates on behalf of consumers and provided few refunds to those who were dissatisfied with the service.
Economic Relief Technologies also allegedly operated a related scam: using names like "Auto Protection Center" and "Warranty Services," they tricked consumers into believing they were affiliated with their vehicle manufacturer or dealership, and falsely claimed that the consumers' vehicles' warranties were about to expire. The scheme is similar to several stopped by a court order at the FTC's request earlier this year.
The lawsuits claim the companies broke the law by making illegal robocalls to consumers and that their deceptive sales pitches violated the FTC Act and the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule.
Additional charges include:
? Calling consumers whose phone numbers are on the National Do Not Call Registry.
? Calling consumers who had previously asked not to be called.
? Failing to transmit their caller ID information, as required.
? "Spoofing" or masking their caller ID information.
? Failing to promptly identify themselves, the purpose of their call, and/or the nature of the goods or services they were selling.
? Improperly abandoning calls.
? Failing to make required disclosures in their robocalls.
To help consumers and businesses understand their rights and responsibilities when it comes to pre-recorded telemarketing calls, the FTC issued two new alerts, "New Rules for Robocalls" and "Reining in Robocalls."
Separately, the FTC has issued a new publication, the National Do Not Call Registry Data Book for Fiscal Year 2009, which contains information about the Registry, along with a breakdown of consumer complaints about companies violating the Do Not Call rules. According to the Data Book, there are more than 191 million numbers on the Do Not Call Registry.




Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/12 ... l#ixzz0ZNtsuqK0


16 Ways You Can be Phone Scammed

18 Nov 2008
When we started 800Notes.com we had no idea that telemarketing fraud comes in so many flavors. The variations include 'cramming', 'slamming', credit card scams, calls from telemarketers pretending to be IRS, sweepstakes and lotteries scams, advance fee  loan scams, phone toner scams, fat finger dialing scams, and area code phone scams.
Typically the goal is to get you to reveal personal, bank account information, or to make you do something that will result in unwanted charges on your account. Individuals and businesses are equally affected by these scams although the schemes might be different.
In this article I will outline the 16 most popular phone scams. I am sure there are more, so if you have been a victim of a phone scam, or you know of a phone scam not mentioned here, please share it with me and the readers in the comments.
Send this article to your family members, co-workers, and employees. Give it to your teenage kids and elderly parents (studies show they are the most vulnerable to the scams). As the old saying goes, "Forewarned is Forearmed".
3.    Offers to Lower Your Interest Rates: The calls begin with a recording that makes a tempting offer to lower your credit-card interest rates. Then you are switched to a live agent who collects from you the credit card number and its expiration, name, address, and in some cases even your social security number. The telemarketers have no intention of giving consumers better interest rates on their cards and instead use the information to commit identity theft and run up unwanted charges.
Again, tracing these scam artists is difficult: they spoof the caller ID information and use numerous VOIP accounts set up using stolen credit cards. The best thing to do is hang up, report the call to FTC and warn others through 800notes.com.

These telemarketers are already violating do not call laws.  

They think by CLAIMING that you have talked to them before - it implies a previous business relationship with them so its okay to call those on the DO NOT CALL LIST

ITS STILL A LIE - AND THEY ARE STILL VIOLATING DO NOT CALL LAWS AND A COURT ORDER TO STOP MAKING THESE CALLS PENDING AN FTC LAWSUIT IN MAY 2010.

Received a voice message that was partially cut off. What I did get was this portion: "I did wanna let you know that I found a solution for you. We've got a program that could possibly reduce your interest rates to as low as 1.5%. I see you are only making those minimum payments so that should be a pretty good opportunity for you so give me a call back. This will be your last courtesy call. So my phone number here is 1 (877)442-8079. Again that number is toll free at (877)442-8079."

What's sad is that this call was made to my WORK phone number that I do NOT give out and that my phone never actually rang.  I'm pretty sure this is scamming...

I was called by 314-421-6001 and got the same message about this being the last courtesy call. I call the number back and it went straight to "We are sorry you have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service" I called maybe 5min after the voicemail was left on my cell phone! I was also told to call that 1/877-442-8079. Just call them back and tell to not call your cell phone number but be sure not to give them any personal info other than the number they called. This company does not seem to be legitimate AT ALL. If you haven't already registered your cell phone# on the national do not call list do so as soon as possible https://www.donotcall.gov/register/reg.aspx

I got the call from "Tina" just like others have, above.

Like a lot of people, I actually have been talking to my credit card companies about interest rates, so I thought it was one of them wanting to talk to me.

I called and immediately got a woman who asked for my name. I gave her my name, and then she launched into some script about debt reduction something or other. I interrupted her and asked what company she represented. She said "We represent over 200 non-profit agencies." I asked her what specific company she worked for and she said something like "Debt Relief."

Then I asked if they had a website, because I wanted to read about them. She said that she could not give out those details until I was transferred to a debt counselor.  (Oh right, YOUR WEBSITE is a secret... a privilege to behold... one that must be earned.) She seemed irritated with me. (Yes, ma'am, it's so annoying when people won't let you steal their money. I totally sympathize.)

I bid her good day and hung up. Then I felt bad. I wanted to call her back and tell her that I'm impressed that her scam succeeded in getting me to call back. That's a telemarketer first.

just had a call woman left 8774428070, last courtesy call. I call back and she would not tell me where she was located and said i must have recieved the call in error. SCAMMERS. Lets hunt them down. Keep calling. I asked for a supervisor and she cut me off.

Hi guys this is Tina, i am a scam artist that recorded a message to try incourage people to call back. Sorry that i could only get the people who are drunk and or mentaly handicaped, thanks for your time; hopefully you'll turn off your phone the next time you drink so i don't get you.

Just got a call from this number but I didn't record her entire message, it actually started off mid-sentence so it was definitely a recording.

"... you  are  only  making  those  minimum  payments  that  should  be  a  pretty  good  opportunity  for  you  so  give  me  a  call  back.  This  will  be  your  last  courtesy  call  it  again.  So  my  phone  number  here  is  1(877) 442-8079. Again  that  toll  free  at  (877) 442-8079."

That's all it said and I know no one has ever tried to call me before. Any respectable company would not say they had.

I did not answer the call from 573-238-4749 because I did not recognize the number.  A woman named Tina Stevens left a message saying to call her at 1-877-442-8079.  She said this would be the last time to give me the courtesy call and to help me get a very reduced interest rate on my credit card. She also said we had spoken the week before, which we had not.
"Tina"claimed she could help me finally pay off my card.  Thing is, I don't need help.  My family and I are fortunate to be able to fully pay credit card bills each month. An obvious scam! If you see this number, don't answer.  Certainly, don't give any personal information whatsoever.

Same thing.  Just got a voicemail from "Tina" saying the things listed by others here, verbatim.  Never identified me by name or indicated a company name, so I googled to find out what it was.  Debating whether to call and give them my opinion of their scamming attempt or just ignore them and not let them waste any more of my time.  Caller ID showed 573-238-4749.

That is the EXACT message I just got on my work phone. Good thing I googled it since it was a bit strange..

SCAM!

Just received the same call at work.  If it's too good to be true, it usually is!!!

got the same call.  My caller ID shows the call coming from 573-648-2221

Hi  guys,  this  is  Tina,  Stephen  giving  you  a  call  back  here.  We  spoke  last  week  on  the  phone  regarding  possibly  trying  to  lose  interest  rates  to  do.  Seeing  your  monthly  payments  on  those  credit  cards.  I  did  wanna  let  you  know  that  I  did  find  a  solution  here.  We've  got  a  program  that  could  possibly  lose  interest  rates  to  as  low  as  1.5%  in  possibly  cut  the  payments  closed  and  half.  So  think  you  are  only  making  those  minimum  payments  that  should  be  a  pretty  good  opportunity  for  you  so  give  me  a  call  back.  This  will  be  your  last  courtesy  call  it  again.  So  my  phone  number  here  is  1(877) 442-8079. Again  that  toll  free  at  (877) 442-8079.

got the same message...well partial message, 1st part was cut off!!! if you are going to leave a message you may want to listen to the voicemail in its entirety before talking, duh... anyway I agree with many above thanks for the info. It truly must be "scamming" at its best. Because like many of you, I have no credit card debt, it's paid off in full routinely!

I just got the same message at work (Denver, CO)

Yup.  Scammity scam scam.

Funny. I just listened to this on my Vonage voicemail. The originating number was 16364050017 but I was told to 1-877-442-8079. I'm glad this website is here, because half the message got cut off, and all I heard was the part starting from "Seeing  your  monthly  payments  on  those  credit  cards.  I  did  wanna  let  you  know  that  I  did  find  a  solution  here..."  I was certainly suspicious, but since I had called my bank recently about possibly refinancing my mortgage, and I provided the amounts of my credit card payments, it could've been legitimate. But this website gave me all the info I need!

I'm sure enough people bite to make the cold-calling robo-calls worth it.

Woman caller about an account that I don't have: "I did wanna let you know that I did find a solution here. We've got a program that could possibly lower your interest rates to as low as 1.5% and possibly cut the payments close to in half. So, since you are only making the minimum payments, that should be a pretty good opportunity for you.  So give me a call back. This will be your last courtesy call. So my phone number here is 1(877) 442-8079, yet again, that's toll free at (877) 442-8079."