Results tagged “con” from Crime & Courts

Someone calls Dish owners regarding Direct TV saying they are from the Dish company. The caller tells you that your present system will not work for digital TV. The caller says they will need a credit card number to set you up with a new account and arrange to deliver the "new" equipment needed to convert to digital. It is a hoax!

Direct TV knows nothing about this activity. The present equipment Dish provides will receive the new signals. Direct TV is conducting an investigation on this illegal activity of phone calls.
The red flag to this scam was the callers' insistence on requesting a social security number to set up the account. (It is against the law to ask/insist on anyone's social security number).

They also insisted on two months advance payment. It is unknown how the callers are selecting people to call. Once again, never give your personal information, bank information, or credit card information to anyone over the phone.

I thought I'd pass this along:

I often stop on the way home at the Ralphs at Manhattan Village in Manhattan Beach. On Monday, I had barely gotten out of my car about 6 p.m. when a woman approached me. She said she had lost her purse and asked if I could give her money for the bus.

Now I'm a decent guy, but I'm skeptical about things like that. I said "Sorry" and continued into the store.

When I left the store about 15 minutes later, she was still out there in the lot approaching people.

Well, on my way home again Tuesday night, I needed to stop at the supermarket again.

I got out of my car and what do you know, there she was. She walked up to me and started telling me the same story. I stopped her: "You asked me the same question last night," I said.

I blew past her as she responded, "I'm sorry." I went about my shopping and she was gone when I exited the store minutes later.

I suppose that somewhere someone with a story about losing her purse is telling the truth and needs some help, but hmmm, this same lady two nights in a row? Might this be a con?

I thought you'd like to know. She appeared to be in her mid 50s, white, about 5 feet 6 inches tall, gray hair, and thin.

If you've seen her anywhere else, let us all know.