I was working on homework when I got a phone call from a private number. I answered the call and could tell right away it was a telemarketer. The telemarketer informed me that I had been nominated to be entered into a $10, 000 sweepstakes by my credit card company for being a good customer. He informed me that they credit card companies nominated individuals based on frequency of use, account balances, etc. He then asked me which card I carried, Visa, Discover, or American Express.
Now, the first thing that set off bells, is if I had been nominated, wouldn't he know WHICH company had nominated me?
I figured, no harm in telling him which company, so I told him Visa. He then told me 'Everyone seems to say visa!' and then told me that just for being selected, I would be sent a sterling silver watch with a real diamond in it for free and asked to confirm my mailing address... He gave me an OLD address that is no longer used by me, and hasn't been used for a long time. Which also set off red flags because I had updated all of my information with my bank and credit cards. He also asked my age range, and gender and occupation.
He asked for a current address and I told him I wasn't comfortable giving it, and he said 'Well, not a problem. I'm really leery of telemarketers too. Would you like us to call you back later when you've had time to think?' I told him no and he said that he would put me on the do not call list...
Looked it up and it was a scam.