So, I never answer the phone during this day when I'm home. This is why. It's always someone calling asking for money. Today it was the Canadian Christan College. They wanted a donation for the "Children's Emergency Protection Fund." The company that would show up on the credit card? Institute of Canadian Values. Now go ahead. Google all that. I'll wait. It's Ok.
What did you find? That's right! PHONE SCAM. And did I fall for it? Sure did! Let's just call that a "how fast can you cancel your credit card?" challenge! Took me less than 5 minutes (and a panicked "um I'm pretty sure I just did something dumb" phone call to the ol'hubby....)
Best part? The hole time I'm on the phone every fibre of my being was screaming "This is a scam! What are you doing???" Obviously helping the children! I'm such an idiot. Oh well, at least they didn't get my money.
So, MasterCard phones me back (well, they phoned Art because after getting scammed I refused to answer the phone!) and asks me to try phoning them back and cancelling the transaction. Now, if you know me, you know I have phone phobia. I HATE calling people. Spark Parents, friends, family... doesn't matter. And now you want me to call phone scammers and say "Hey! I'm pretty sure you just scammed me and I want you to forget my MasterCard number." Yay! That's top on my list! So I do it. Here's the number they called from by the way: 204-272-4505. No, it's not a UM number (which is why I answered in the first place...) So I call them back and get some 1-800- number. I call that (and it's so unprofessional) and it screams I'm a scam! Hang up! honestly. Call the first number, get the 1-800 number and call it. Ask them if they want your MasterCard number! I call the 1-800 number and actually get someone (who sounds suspiciously like the original person who called me) and ask to cancel the transaction. She says Ok, I need the invoice number and confirmation. I say " you didn't give that to me" she tells me there is nothing that can be done until that gets mailed to me. I say "OK!" and hang up. sigh.
Oh well, go ahead! Try and charge my card number! MasterCard knows about you... you won't get much except a fraud investigation!
Then I call MasterCard back and the nice lady tells me to call my Provincial Government and get the number for BBB or the Consumers Bureau. I do that and the nice CB lady transfers me to someone's voicemail because they are all interviewing someone. heh. Maybe it was an idiot who got phone scammed! Who knows!
In the end, the lady called me back on my cell, but I was just checking my Gramma into her new nursing home (see next post) so I didn't answer the call. Well, I tried to, but couldn't as when I answered she was just hanging up and I didn't catch her. Monday then!
3 comments:
Are you an old lady or what? I thought only old people got scammed.
(and for anyone who may be reading this she nearly made me think *I* was scammed by texting my cell phone in the middle of a work day!)
well, aparently guilable young'ens get scammed too! how dumb am I?? Oh well, in the end, even though it's annoying, it's really no harm no foul (for me).
stupid scamming!
Don't feel bad. My 30 year-old male coworker totally fell for a Nigerian mail scam, that a 3 year-old could see was a scam.
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