Those robo-dialed phone calls keep coming.
The ones that start with a tell-tale buzz that means the call is transferring to some call center and a person, or a recording, pitching something: cutting your energy bill, offering Medicare benefits or selling you “final expense” insurance.
The callers’ goal is not merely to be annoying — the aim is to make money off you.
Some calls are outright scams. Some are pitches for legitimate businesses — although it can be up for debate whether the way they are pitching the business is legitimate, or legal.
We spent some time with the callers to figure out what they are up to.
What to know about calls from your ‘TV provider’
Sometimes the caller says they are from Spectrum Cable or DirecTV. But more often than not, they say they are from “your television provider.”
They ask if you are satisfied with your bill or whether — and a judge in court would say this is leading the witness — the bill is too high.
Then comes the scam offer: Your bill can drop to a low rate — one example was $60 a month. All you would have to do is prepay for six months.
Some scammers have offered gift cards of $250 or more if the deal were done immediately.
And, of course, this deal can’t be done through the website of your television provider. The credit card payment must be taken over the phone. Sharing that information gives the scammer what they need.
That’s as far as The Republic took the call, stopping short of giving a valid credit card number. Note: There has also been a version of this call involving Verizon or “your cell phone provider” and making the same pitch.