ScamAlert™!!!
MusicBizAdvice.com wants you and your money to be safe while you pursue your music
industry career! Following are some of the scams that are making the rounds of the music
industry...
SCAM: Long distance Phone Company Slamming, and Phony Phone
Company Telemarketing
Potential scams can happen to anyone. Here's what someone recently tried to
pull on our Editor-in-Chief:
A telemarketer claiming to be from our Editor's long distance company called
with "an exclusive anniversary offer with a new calling plan for our best
customers." The telemarketer knew the date and year our Editor had signed up
for her long distance plan, so it sounded legitimate, and since it had been
a while since our Ed last analyzed her long distance plan, she decided to
hear him out.
As the telemarketer got into the sales pitch, it didn't sound like the usual
language of her long distance carrier's script, so our Ed interrupted each
selling point with questions about the plan. The scripted answers didn't
answer the questions, and the final tip off was when our Ed said, "That
sounds interesting, send me some literature."
Telemarketer: "We're able to bring you this offer by keeping our costs down
by not having literature on this plan."
Editor: "That's fine, just point me to the section of the website and I'll
check it out. I need to see something in writing before I sign up."
Telemarketer: "There's nothing on our website, this is a very special offer
for our most loyal customers."
Editor (positive she has a scammer on the line, and looking in her rolodex
for the number of her long distance company): "I'm sorry, I have a policy of
not purchasing anything from companies who initiate the call. Give me a
number and your name or operator number so won't lose your commission, and
I'll call you back. Do NOT change my service."
Telemarketer (getting angry): "This offer is only good if you sign up right
now with me." Then the telemarketer turned nasty and began berating her
about how "stupid" someone would have to be not to sign up for this offer
immediately.
Editor (interrupting): "You just blew it." [Hangs up on him.]
Immediately, our Ed called her long distance carrier to confirm whether or
not the calling plan existed--it does, but for much less than the
telemarketer's quoted price and is available to the general public, not just
select customers--and asked if they were doing an "anniversary offer"
telemarketing campaign (of course they're not).
In case the telemarketer was a new long distance company grabbing
customers by slamming (in which a long distance company pretends to be the
customer or pretends to have permission to act on the customer's behalf and
changes service to their company without the customer's knowledge), our Ed's
long distance carrier added extra identity confirmation questions to her
account to prevent someone from switching her long distance service without
her knowledge. They also advised her to call her local phone company to put
a freeze on the account that prevents anyone from switching her long
distance carrier, which she did. (At her local phone company, SBC, this is
called "Slamming Protection.") The long distance carrier also offered to
assist with filing a claim against the phony telemarketer.
Long Distance Company Scam prevention tips:
1. When presented with an offer, always demand to see something in writing.
A legitimate company will have literature or details of the offer on their
website.
2. Never purchase anything from a telemarketer who initiates the call. Get a
number and the telemarketer's name or operator number "so you don't lose out
on your commission" and tell them you need to discuss it with your spouse or
roommate and will call back. Often, a scammer won't give you a phone number.
If they do, it gives authorities a starting point to track them down, even
if the number is fake...and if they've given you a fake number, they've just
perjured themselves.
3. If the telemarketer claims to be from a company whose name you recognize,
get the company's number from Information and call to verify that the offer
exists. (Try calling 800-555-1212 to get the customer service 800# if you
don't know where the company is located.)
4. Ask your local phone company to place a freeze on your account that
prevents long distance companies from changing your long distance carrier
without your knowledge. This service is usually free. With SBC, it's called
"Slamming Protection."
5. Always be careful to never say the words "yes," "I would switch," etc.
during the telemarketer's pitch, even when the script prompts you to. (Some
bogus long distance companies use this as voice confirmation with your local
phone company to switch you to their long distance service without your
knowledge.) Clearly say the words, "Do NOT change my service" or "You do NOT
have permission to change my service" several times so they can't claim to
have misunderstood you.
More scams
Know of a music or entertainment industry scam? Tell us about it. Send the details to muzbizadvc@aol.com with "SCAM ALERT" in the
subject line. Include the company's name, web address, and contact information, along with
a brief description of the scam. We'll post as many as possible to keep them from happening to someone else. All
submissions are confidential. |
