It seems that the credit card debt crisis is spawning a variety of innovative scam artists. One of the latest are the so-called Robocalls that questionable companies are making to catch unwary credit cardholders looking for a quick fix to their debts.
The Better Business Bureau has been alerted and is monitoring the practices of these robocalls. Robocalls are actually just telemarketers who are cashing in on the current panic over credit card debt.
The call usually starts with an automated message which states that “This is our final attempt to reach you since you've not responded to our other calls to discuss your credit-card debt”. It then gives instructions on how the callee can dial another number to talk to an actual person. Understandably, if the one receiving the call has some serious credit card debt, he or she would be tempted, to say the least, to make that call. When the phone number given is dialed, the first thing that is asked from the caller is their credit card number and the “operator” will then give a sales pitch on how he or she can help the caller manage his or her credit card debt.
Technically, the service that the operator offers, calling a lender to negotiate a better debt payment arrangement for the caller, can be quite helpful. The problem is that they charge anywhere from $700 to $1,000 for a service that any credit cardholder with a large debt can do for him or herself without incurring any costs. These large fees, which usually have to be paid upfront, are hardly necessary and only put more burden on the credit cardholder who is probably already struggling with debt.
Aside from basically scamming people with a service they can get for free, these robocalls also violate the “do-not-call” laws. Numerous complaints have been made to the Better Business Bureau about the practices of the companies behind these robocalls. They are not only a nuisance but they are also a danger to credit cardholders who are not that familiar with their credit rights.
For credit cardholders who receive these robocalls, the best thing to do is to hangup immediately. If, for some reason this is not possible, then refrain from giving away any personal information such as your credit card or bank number or your social security ID. To stop these calls from disturbing you, you can try and put your number on the do-not-call list. You can do this by visiting the website: “donotcall.gov” . If they continue to call you after you've done so, you can report them to the Federal Trace Commission through the same web address.