The FTC is warning you to be cautious if you get a message from your TV or internet provider offering you a lower rate. The agency has received thousands of reports this year about fake calls claiming to be from a provider.
We all like to save money, so when someone calls saying they are from our cable company or internet provider and they have an offer to lower our monthly bill in exchange for a pre-payment or fee, it might be tempting to believe them.This year, the FTC has gotten thousands of reports — including many from older adults — about scammers pretending to be Spectrum or another provider to try to trick people out of their money or personal information.
Here’s how the scam often works: You get a phone call, recorded message, or text with an offer to lower your monthly payments. The caller — or the person who picks up when you call the number they give you — says you need to “prepay” part of your bill to qualify. They tell you to pay using gift cards because they’re partnering with a company for a promotion, and to call them back with the gift card number. Once you do, they collect that and other personal information over the phone.Never give out your personal, account, or payment information to someone who contacts you out of the blue and demands it.Scammers can fake caller ID so it shows a company’s name or phone number.