I received a strangely plain and very generic letter in the mail claiming that this company, CRM REWARDS DEPARTMENT was trying to reach me with good news! It said they'd been trying to reach me at my hm #. The letter said my deadline had expired, but they had temporarily extended it. It even had a pin number and a number to call.
If the plain letter didn't tip me off, the address and unmarked stamp should've. My address didn't even include my apt. #, something I told my hubby seemed odd, but oh well. Funny, the stamp on the envelope hadn't been processed through the mail system. We joked that we could reuse the stamp.
I called the number, fully expecting this to be a scam. All of the telltale signs were there. A pleasant girl named Kristin answered the phone asking for my pin number (on the letter), and I gave it to her while she explained that my credit card had been entered into an official drawing in which I one a trip to pretty much anywhere of my choice. She knew the first few digits of my card, and I assumed this was a rewards or points thing from my credit card. I thought, finally, these rewards are kicking in! Whoo-hoo! NOT!
Kristin tried to get me to sign up for some magazines (uh no-way been there done that scam). I politely declined and she said it was fine that since I'd won the trip in a drawing I still receive. She said I could pick it up a their office in Bakersfield, CA (I live in TX) or I could pay $4.95 shipping and handling for the resort info. No magazines... Free trip... Just shipping and handling, OKAY!
She transferred me to her manager where I praised Kristin for being such a great representative, the entire time my hubby is shaking his head. The manager lady then proceeded to try to make me sign up for a 30-day free trial coupon thing. No way lady, you said this was free.
I got a conformation number and was told I'd be entered in a $1 million drawing on Feb. 15. I was given a customer service number (800-584-7419). I am supposed to receive the packet and my certificate # will be at the bottom right of the 4th page or something. I hung up feeling very uneasy. My hubby said, you just got scammed!
I tried to call back the customer service number. A machine. I tried to call the original number back. New girl named Lisa... I asked for Kristin, and Lisa was really suspicious. What do you need to speak to Kristin for? I explained that I had won a free trip and got disconnected. The girl was still suspicious. I told her to let me speak to the manager, and gave her my confirmation number. She then transferred me to a funny sounding hold music with all these glitches... Weird... I was on hold for 20 minutes and then hung up.
My hubby said to check my credit card account. A charge for a dollar from CA was already waiting to be processed. NOOOOOO! I called my credit card company, reported the fraud, and will be getting a new card in a few days.
Basically, these people somehow know more information than they should, leading you to believe that they are official. They are not! You may get something in the mail, but it won't be what they say. Read all the other reports on this company and you'll find out the truth. Fraud! Scandal! Scam!
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