Strange 866 phone call. An alert for DUers. Do NOT give out personal info to these callers!

[CTyankee]

Today I retrieved a message from a man with an Indian accent, calling himself "Shane" and asking for my mother. I called back and spoke with a woman who had an Indian accent and asked why "shane" was calling my mother. She would not give me information saying it was "personal" information. I then told her my mother was deceased and again asked why they were calling her. She asked me to fax the death certificate to her. I said I would do no such thing and again asked why the call. Again, she wanted me to give her my mother's birthdate. I then said "I don't know who you are and I will not give you any information. You need to stop calling me." She said "no problem, ma'am. You won't get any further calls."

I googled the number and it seems that lots of people have been giving out info such as their SS numbers to these callers.

The full number is 866-853-0322.

Back when my mother was in assisted living in TX I had her mail sent to my address, which is how I guess they got the phone number.

Is there anything else I should do on this?

[Midlodemocrat]

1. Hate to tell you this, but once a person passes away, ANYONE can

get their SS number. It becomes public information.

I wouldn't worry about it. I still get mail/calls for my mom/dad/FIL and I just tell them they're deceased and hang up.

[mainegreen]

2. I fuck with those callers.

Not the normal 'would you like to take a survey' callers, or other annoying but legitimate callers, but the ones you sense are sketchy.

Try to engage them in phone sex. They squirm. Hey 'Bob' (as if that's your name), are you touching yourself? I am.

It's fun!

[madinmaryland]

3. I gotta remember that one!!

:spray:

Fortunately with caller id, i don't answer any of those calls.

[lost-in-nj]

4. I put the phone # in google

http://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/8668530322



a lo of stuff about this company out there



lost


:hi:

[Gormy Cuss]

6. HA! I was about to suggest that it was a collection agency.

The combination of data requested sounded like it to me. I had a friend whose deceased ex-spouse left a trail of unpaid bills in his wake and the collection agencies always found her and requested proof of his death. She wasn't obligated to provide it but it was easier than dealing with them in perpetuity. Most of the time she simply gave them the date and place of death and told them where they could obtain a copy of the death cert.

[CTyankee]

9. When the mother of a friend of mine died and she got called for unpaid bills

they wouldn't believe her when she said her mother was deceased. So she gave them her mother's "address," which was the address of the cemetary where she was buried!

[CTyankee]

8. Yep, I read about them at google.

What floors me are the people who will give out personal information to strangers on the phone. I get calls all the time wanting to talk to me about my health care plan and they have just a few questions and I can get a better rate. I tell them I never give any information out to strangers on the phone and don't call me again. But they keep popping up...

[CreekDog]

5. Shane is related to Vishnu

and is the all pervading essence of all telemarketers. :think:

[IronLionZion]

7. I love it when unknown random scammers call me for personal info

give em fake stuff and try to engage them in stuff too. Ask for their number so you can call back with more info. Find out what company they say they are from. I don't know if you can report this stuff to any law enforcement agency, maybe the FBI?