I just want to say thank you to this website. You have saved me from alot of grief. I want to tell my story from the time these people contacted me to present. Maybe my experience will help someone else.
I was contacted by telephone about a month ago by a young lady who calls herself "Lindsey". She sounds very sweet and trustworthy. She told me that she is from Mastercard and that I have been approved for a Mastercard with a $2,000 credit limit with 0% interest for the first 3 years. She asked me if I had a checking account and I said "no". She told me that I needed a checking account to participate in this special "credit builders program". So, I asked her to call me back in a couple of weeks after I opened a checking account. (My answer to her was a distraction so I could investigate this).
Well, I am the "queen" of suspicion and never trust anything, I've been through too much in my life and I check out everything before I get involved.
So, first I tried calling back the number she called me from. I received a "fax" signal. That was red flag number 1.
I ran a reverse telephone number search on the internet on the telephone number she called me from. The information I received back on it was that it is unlisted, but that the telephone company linked to that telephone number is in Canada. WOW, when I discovered this, I decided to take my investigation a step further and contacted Mastercard Customer Service directly. I asked Mastercard if they have representatives contacting customers about credit card offers. The customer service reprensentative emphatically told me NO. The customer service representative also gave me some very valuable advise, never, never, never give out any personal information over the telephone unless YOU initiate the contact. Also, that banks issue Mastercards. So, if you do receive offers, they will be through the mail and an advance fee will never be collected on legitimate offers.
Okay, so with that I already had myself armed with what I would tell Lindsey when she called back. She did call back last night STILL representing herself to be from Mastercard. So, I told her what I discovered and that I was in no way, shape or form giving her any information whatsoever over the phone. So, she told me the name of the company is Centurion Financial Benefits. She then gave me the telephone number. She ENCOURAGED me to check it out with the BBB (LOL) and I told her, oh I will. So, this morning when I came to work I went to the BBB.org and printed out the awful report on this company. Then I found this website and am discovering even more horrible things that they are doing to people. Not to mention the fact that the FBI is investigating this! They need to catch these people, because I think they are on the Identity Theft trail and it's sad that people are so trusting. Also, FYI, I told my bank and they told me to never ever give out my bank account information over the phone.
Well, I won't and this website and the BBB reports prevented me from falling for the scam.
Again, thanks and good luck to those of you out there who have fallen victim to this.
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