There are numerous scams making the rounds in Metro Detroit, including the fake IRS scam, the DTE shutoff scam, the fake sweepstakes scam. Now, Ruth to the Rescue has heard about another ploy crooks are using to steal your money using a well known cable provider.
Sarah Laing of Fraser met us on her lunch hour to warn about the scam.
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"I don't know why anyone would do that to someone else," she said.
In her case, the caller said he was from Comcast. He was offering her a new promotion in partnership with American Express.
"They said that the promotion was being offered to customers that were loyal customers," Laing said.
The caller said Laing could get a rate of $70 per month, if she paid the first six months in advance via a prepaid debit card from American Express. She wasn't sure about the offer, so she asked for more information and more time to think.
"When I first got the call, I was trying to make dinner for my kids and told them, 'I don't have time to discuss a promotion right now. Can I call you back?'" Laing said.
To give you some idea of how elaborate this scam was, Laing said she received e-mails with Comcast logos -- and every time she called back -- someone answered the phone saying "This is Comcast." She eventually believed the offer was genuine.
She used a prepaid debit card to pay $420, only to find out later it was a scam.
"I got part of my tax return, I was saving for a mini-van, and I thought this will save me money in the long run," Laing said.
Sadly, she found out later it was indeed a scam, and she lost that money.
Comcast Raises Scam Awareness
"Every company is targeted for these types of initiatives, it's not personal. Scam artists aren't out to get one specific company. They're out to get as many consumers as they can," said Michelle Gilbert, Vice President of public relations, Comcast Cable Heartland Region.
She also said that Comcast takes steps to warn customers with a website that tracks ongoing scams. She said you should watch for a very specific warning sign.
"Asking for payment in advance in a red flag. Typically we bill our customers," she said.
Gilbert said if you get an offer that's too good to be true call 1-800-COMCAST to verify. It's an extra step, but, "I would be willing to make a phone call every day to save $400 from a scam artist," Gilbert said.
That's a step Laing wishes she had taken and she said she would do it differently next time.
"It's a loss and my fault for not checking into more -- for not calling Comcast directly," she said.
All consumers should remember scam artists will use any recognizable company name to come up with some scheme to get your money or personal information. No matter what company is allegedly calling, if the offer seems too good to be true, it probably is not a real deal! Call the number from your bill, or a number you know is legitimate and make sure you're talking to the actual company. If someone says the offer won't last, don't risk it.
Here's a link to that Comcast website https://constantguard.xfinity.com/help/alerts.