Nextel Scam
 

I'm at lunch with some work friends last Wednesday. I get a call on my cell phone from a blocked number. I only answer it because calls from work come up as blocked numbers and it could be a work emergency.

The person on the other end of the line sounds to be a black gentleman who is reading from a script. He informs me (I think--it was hard to hear over the crowd at Panera) that I have won a $250 credit on my Nextel account to be applied towards anything I like: new phones, or just to pay my bill. He asks me to verify my name, address, and last 4 of my SSN. I figure fine, if it's legit, no problem. If it's a scam, they can get that information anyway and they can't get a loan in my name without my full SSN. Besides, I have a password on my Nextel account that prevents anyone from making changes (adding lines, ordering new phones, changing addresses, etc...) without the password.

Or so I thought. Apparently, some Nextel customer service reps can be persuaded to make changes without the password...

I get a call on Thursday from a Nextel fraud rep that someone has ordered two high-end phones and two additional lines on my account. They contacted me not because the person ordering did not have my password (they did not), but because this scam is preying on people in my area. The Nextel rep the fraudsters talked to changed my mailing address (but not my billing address) and my password.

Now, Nextel says they will not remove the charges unless I send them the phones back, which they say were sent to my address.

The way I see it, they screwed up and didn't follow their own procedures, and I shouldn't be liable whether or not they get their phones back.

I would NEVER give ANY personal information to anyone through an unsolicited call. Ask for their number and say you'll call them back. That will flush 90% of the scum down the drain.

Only give personal info to a legit company you call...and as always if it sounds too good to be true........

Tell them you are busy, ask for a return phone number and call them back. If they refuse report them.

Joe A

Thanks.

That's usually what I do.

For some reason, I decided to take the call at its word. Obviously a bad decision.

Call back, ask for a supervisor, expain what happened, tell them you'll send the phones back but let them know that whether they receive the phones or not they got ordered because they didn't follow their own policy to protect your account and you WILL NOT be paying those charges. Let them know that if you have to call back again to take care of it it will be the final call and it will be to terminate service with them. You have better uses of your time.

Sounds like it's an in and out deal. I'll be willing to bet the scam was done by a Nextel employee off the clock, and perhaps the gal processing it (inside) took the order was in on it too.

They knew exactly what to info to get from you.

It'll wind up on craigslist or Ebay.

I've already explained everything to Nextel. Hopefully I won't see the charges on my bill.